And the Reason is You
by LillieGhoul
Summary: Six years have passed since their last adventures. Now our Frontier Gang finds themselves facing adventures of a very different kind; the struggle of facing their hormones. Primarily Takuya X Izumi.
1. A Match Made In Heaven

**I chose an OC's POV for the prologue coz I wanted to show the Frontier Gang from an outsider's point of view of how much time has passed and how much they've changed.  
><strong>

**I've made all the recurring OCs related to the Digital World, without actually shaking the foundations of the series. This is because I want to explain their connection and friendship and not to make them as just pawns in a chessboard like I see in most fanfictions to get on with the story. You'll find out how in the future chapters.  
><strong>

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Digimon. If I did, I would have shown Takuya and Izumi married with kids in the anime.**

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

* * *

><p><em><span>A Match made in Heaven<span>_

* * *

><p><strong><em>3rd4th April 2008, Zoë's room, Thursday/Friday, 1:15 am_**

The first thing Izumi said was, "OmG look at your hair."

Izumi's father is Japanese and mother is Roman Catholic. She hasn't decided yet who she wants to be but she has this habit of taking both the Lord's and Buddha's name in vain.

I looked at her hair as well, which was silky straight and reaching a little above her elbows and appeared to be shining like liquid gold.

"Look at yours," I said mildly.

She pouts. "No way. Yours is so pure and untouched by anything. Mine is destroyed by artificial stuff and re-bonding and all."

I nod sarcastically. "Yeeaah… Why are we talking about hair?"

"Coz it's so pretty! Last time I saw you in flesh your hair wouldn't go past your ear."

"Yeah, I so miss that hair and carefreeness," I say reminiscing.

Izumi is shocked. "You're kidding right?

I shake my head. "No not really."

Izumi presses her chin with her index finger, which she does whenever she is pondering something. Wow, I miss that look. "Kōichi likes it," she says.

"What?"

"Kōichi likes it. Your hair I mean."

"W-H-A-T?"

"Yup," Izumi says grinning. "I saw it in his eyes."

"Seriously?" I say, shocked that I… well… managed to impress a guy. That has never happened before. Izumi just nods.

"Oh em Gee," I say, imitating Zoë from before. "I LOVE MY HAIR!"

Izumi laughs. "You're baka, you know that?"

Attempting to get the subject away from me, I say, "So what of your thing?"

She acts all innocent. "Me?"

"Yeah you," I answer.

She shrugs. "I told you about Hiro."

"Oh pleeease. Knowing you, that was so last month ago, coz that was when I last heard of him being mentioned by you."

"True that," she admits.

"So… What now? How come you're actually single? Anyone you have eyes on?"

She puts her finger on her chin again. "JP's so the same. Kōji's gone hotter. And Takuya…" she stops, getting lost in thought.

I thought something exciting was coming up. I lean away from my suitcase so that I won't miss a single word.

"Well… You know, he's been acting weird ever since I broke up with Hiro. Not that he already doesn't act weird, but you know what I mean."

I shake my head, "Not exactly."

"True, he's gotten real flaming hot over the years, and when I saw him last year, I couldn't believe it was the same guy who used to have snot piled up his nose and JP's chocolates all over his face."

"Uh-huh?"

"Do you really think he likes me, you know… that way?" Izumi asks.

"Actually, it appears highly possible. Tonight, I saw he had eyes on no one other than you. Or perhaps this certain beauty with the new strangely magnetic hair. Or maybe it was even that American supermodel girl I think is gonna sue me for getting ahead of her on the way out. The possibilities are endless."

Izumi knocks me with a pillow. "I'm serious!" she says.

"Anw you continue with what you were saying? You said Kōji's gotten hotter?"

"I like Kōji coz he's a challenge you know?"

"Yeahhhh… What about JP?"

She snorts. "Oh please, he's no challenge at all. He keeps trying to invade my personal bubble. Oooh, he never seems to get the hint."

"Ha-ha! You know he's just a flirt. He tries to get near every girl he sees."

Izumi nods. "Yeah of course, that thing with Natsumi was just… WEIRD. For a guy who likes me he should have better tastes."

"So what about Takuya?

"What about him?"

"You know what I mean. It is pretty obvious he likes you, why don't you give him a chance?"

She waves her hand. "He'll get over it. He's just a horny teenager, like us, we get over stuff pretty easily. Besides," she says this loudly, as I had just open my mouth to argue. "He's in the soccer team. Girls already fall for him left and right."

I say, "Maybe… he doesn't give them a damn coz his heart is already captivated by someone else."

"Oh, hardy har har." The way she said it caused us both to laugh.

"By the way," she points an accusing finger at me. "Why are YOU so interested?"

"Oh, I just think you two are a match made in heaven."

I automatically dodge a pillow I knew would be aimed at me as we both laughed, getting up and taking all my bags and heading out where Izumi's parents were waiting for us in their Ferrari.

* * *

><p>Before I forget the sequence of events because of the fatigue and a little jet lag and all, I'm deciding to write before falling asleep. I was woken up by an American super model type looking woman. I was in such a daze to notice if she was an air hostess or just a person sitting beside me being pissed for having her shoulder used for a head rest or something. I hope to God I didn't drool and for this reason she was gonna sue me my ass off coz that's what Americans do for every little measly thing which doesn't fit their liking like if someone even dared sneeze on them, or step their toes as a girl tried in her anxiety to meet her friends again to rush out fast from the damn plane she's been sitting on for way too long.<p>

Anw I see that I've been apparently worried for nothing. Everyone genuinely seemed happy to see me. When I got off the plane, I was searched; being forced to tolerate the women's touches. The customs people were apparently thinking I was trying to smuggle a bomb or something, like I didn't already have to bear the probes and wasn't searched well enough before departure. They apparently thought I might have sneaked one when i was up thousands of feet in the air or something.

So when I finally got through customs, I scanned the airport for a sign of my friends in the too crowded Tokyo airport. I was standing there looking so stupid with my stupid hand bag and my stupid headache from my untimely nap in the plane and stupid thinking that with these many people in just a single damn airport how come Japan's one of the most safest countries in the world and also that why the hell hadn't we discussed where it was they'll be standing to meet me God I can't believe I was so STUPID when someone grabbed me from behind very tightly.

I struggled to free myself coz the dude was seriously breaking my ribs when I turned around to see JP grinning widely down at me. When did he get soo tall and wide, wide though he was already? He is frikking HUGE now, a guy like him with his HUGE strong frikkin gorilla arms like that should not be let out of the sumo wrestling arena! Just as I was gasping with my tongue hanging out JP let go of me long enough to get me some air in my lungs and then grabbed me in a sort of neck hold and whirled me around and then started waving at the gang who was a little far away.

"Hey, I found the midget!" he yells in English.

We all spoke English with each other, like almost all of us were encouraged by our parents to do so, and as some of our friends are born English speaking. Back in the Digital World, it was only with Kōji and Izumi many of us could communicate with directly. Sure I could say words like Arigato, Sayonara and Watashi mo and all, but holding a whole conversation in Japanese was difficult for me. Understanding what they were saying was a lesser problem; I could understand what the others said as long as they didn't speak too fast. As with Mercureymon's intelligence, everything looked as if it was just made to be explored. But it was Kōji or Izumi who had more than once always ended up interpreting to the others whatever I tried to say. It was mostly for this reason that I was more attached to Kōji and Izumi than anyone else in the gang, just like Tomoki was more attached to Takuya than the rest of us, and Kōichi to Kōji.

In case you're wondering, I used to be the ex Warrior of Steel.

And excuse me, I'm NOT a midget, I'm just a little short heighted being 5'2"… almost. It's _your_ fault you're so damn HUGE! Aren't Japanese supposed to be SHORT? I mean, please, does he honestly eat what, a whole COW for a dinner? I was barely levelling his damn shoulder in height! What was he aiming to be, Big Show or Yokozona? Then he must've been aspiring to be one of them since he was in diapers!

They all noticed my strangulation and ran towards us. Izumi grabbed my bag before it could fall, as I had lost feeling in my arms and it was dangling from my elbows. JP finally lets go of me so that Izumi could hug me and all the guys could shake my hand and thump me on my back. She had tears in her eyes and I admit, my eyes got a little wet too, but that was just coz of seeing Zoe's tears ok? All the guys couldn't stop grinning. Even some passer-byes looked at me and laughed. I thought it weird at the time. Then they all shook my hand in turn. Even Tommy is a bit taller than me. This is so unfair.

Tommy greeted me with, "Hey Li, guess what? I just ended Super Smash Bros. Brawl for like, the hundredth time yesterday! You have so got to play it; it's like the best game evaa!"

Tommy was also the same, not all that tall and lightweight, having the slim body of a runner. Or in his case a talented ice skier. Chakmon has apparently rubbed off on him.

Before I got to reply, Kōji exclaimed, "Oh FISH what happened to your HAIR?"

Kōji was medium built, and his arms looked strong, hard and tough with muscles. He was skilled in fencing and was also a skilled kendo player of course. Courtesy of Wolfmon's sword fighting. Except here he did it with blunt swords and sticks respectively instead of twin light sabres.

I self-consciously touched my abnormally long hair (for me it was) wondering if it was sticking out weirdly or something just as some more passer-byes laughed at me looking at my hair. I seriously thought something was wrong, but I had my pride, and I didn't want to ask Izumi if she had a hand mirror in her purse. It was so unlike Zoë to go anywhere without a few make up items and accessories at hand.

Takuya also stared. "It's… too… Long I guess."

Takuya, his skin tanned from regularly playing football in the heat, had almost the same type of body as Tommy's, though he was a little taller than him.

JP wolf whistled. "Girl, last time we say you we couldn't even tell you were a girl! Is this even real?"

He pulled my hair, successfully earning a smack from me which I doubt he even felt, as all I succeeded in doing was tingling his flesh, as there was so many of it. I notice that the fact he was so wide in the chest was the reason which made him look taller than he really is.

Zoë says, "Come on guys, quit teasing her, I think she looks perfectly adorable. Thank goodness you did something at last which shows you're a girl and not a boy in a girl's body."

Zoë has become the type of girl other girls will hate on pure sight alone. If I am thinking she must be a child of Aphrodite, I am unsure and hesitate to write what all the guys passing by her who stopped to stare were actually thinking, though judging by the way they looked at her legs, I could be sure their thoughts were nowhere near as decent as mine. JP and Takuya were staring like drooling dogs as well, and _they_ had been in the constant company of her beauty for a year. And they still weren't used to it. Obviously. Zoë was an inch or so taller than Takuya, shouldering in with Kōji, looking even taller than him in heels levelling with his 'kerchief which he was wearing as a bandanna.

I could tell Takuya wasn't happy with this fact.

I wasn't sure if what Zoë has said was supposed to be teasing or complimenting. "Ummm… Thanks… I guess…"

I noticed that Kōichi hasn't said anything yet; perhaps hoping to blend in with Kōji as always but looking at him he was all smiles. Blending in with Kōji was a habit of his acquired from Löwemon, Darkness being the shadow caused by the Light. Kōichi almost never failed to use its advantage for shedding off as much limelight as possible. Talk about insecure. Or maybe they're just identical twins so when they're together your mind automatically sees them as one coz they look so much alike? Allah knows. He is shorter than Kōji, reaching till his ear. Kōji with his bandanna was looking even taller than he actually is. I think this isn't supposed to be fair.

When I smiled towards Kōichi he nodded in acknowledgment to show me that yeah, he knows I'm there. Ok, that was weird. I'm supposed to be one of his best friends, not some guest he meets at a party whom he doesn't wanna approach and talk to but nods in greeting from afar only. I saw Zoë watching this exchange with a wicked smile on her face and I knew that as usual something twisted is going on in her mind. So I cleared that then only.

"Kōichi, why are you just standing there nodding like an idiot? Really, come on and meet me like a best friend who's been apart for _way_ too long!" I say spreading my arms.

Kōichi's left eye and cheek twitched like it always did whenever he was uncomfortable or nervous as he stepped forward to meet my embrace. I remember thinking, odd. He never used to act like this in front of me before. He was the type who used to tap my shoulder around whoever sat beside me and pretended he hadn't done it by looking somewhere else automatically putting the blame on Kōji who was usually the one who sat beside me with Zoë on my other side. I think that's the part of growing up, and realising that the person of the opposite sex is well… opposite. That's really sad. The world would be a much better and peaceful place if we didn't have to go through this nonsense of growing up and becoming aware of our surroundings and just forever remain naïve, coz sometimes it's just better that way, because I saw that Kōichi wasn't the only one acting like this.

Throughout these exchanges, I kept noticing Takuya's eyes kept straying towards Izumi even though they were just for a few seconds' glances. I got the feeling he just kept needing an excuse to look at her. I wasn't sure if this theory of mine was proved when Zoë suddenly starts laughing for no apparent reason and Takuya's eyes fastened on her again with a look that clearly portrayed that he was entranced by her ravishing beauty and subtle movements. (Ok, so it's one of my dreams to be a published author, sue me for practicing adjectives. So with my love for art combined, will that make me a… an Illustrious Author? Hmmm… It certainly has a nice ring to it. Well, I don't know what I'm dreaming about anyway, like my parents will ever allow me to pursue Arts instead of Science, which I'm currently doing by the way. Sheesh.)

"Why are you laughing like a silly girl Izumi?"

Izumi tries to stifle her laugh looking at someone behind me. I look at her with eyes narrowed but just then someone touches my shoulder. I turn to see my aunt and uncle standing there. They smile in greeting.

"Assalam-o-alaikum Mamu, Mami," I greet them.

"Walaikum-assalam beta. My, how you've grown young lady," My aunt says, hugging me.

"Why do you have a paper saying "I'm So Stupid and Dumb" stuck on your back on your hair?" my uncle asks curiously.

I look at him questioningly as he peels something off my back and I yelp as some hair also comes along with it. I see the sign. I turn around angrily to face the gang to find them all snickering.

"You…" I had to control my language in front of the elders. I remembered how the guys had thumped me on the back as a way of greeting. All of a sudden I remembered the people who had laughed as they passed me by looking at my hair. You can tell how embarrassed and angry I was. But it was no place to be reacting, not in front of my relatives, who were bound to tell my parents every step I take and every air I breathe.

Before I could go to Izumi's home, I had to take my luggage and put it in their house. After a week my own family will be moving here as well. So that gave me only one week of freedom and to spend it with Izumi at her house. I kept hoping from now only that their flight keeps getting delayed, cox I was in no mood to be an obedient daughter or a responsible sister. Or act like one either.

"It's nothing Mamu; my friends are always this big bundle of laughs," I tell my uncle.


	2. Legendary Digital Warriors

**This chapter is just story building, setting and character developing, so if you don't like this kinda stuff you can skip this.**

* * *

><p>A word about the gang before you meet them.<p>

Life changed dramatically after our visit to the Digital World. The Legendary Warriors were friends now and the summer vacations which preceded them were one of the best summer vacations ever. With new friends and new lessons, we all set out to explore all sorts of things together and even started getting along with everyone better.

Takuya and Tomoki and Kōji all were getting along a lot better with their brothers.

The girls who had originally been hostile towards Izumi saw what a precious jewel of a person she is beneath all that cultural difference.

Junpei stopped trying to win friends over by chocolates or magic tricks and Kōichi was recovering fine from his accident.

I, Ghala Lili and former Mercuremon of Steel, got along a lot better with my family because I saw they really had my best interests at heart… Even though they might not know how to show them, but it didn't matter, I have years of experience having to deal with them anyway with my core of steel.

Fujimoto Myakka, who used to be Ranamon of Water, was getting along just fine with Izumi. It was a laugh how much they used to fight and compete with each other for being the more beautiful one.

Hart Jason or Jackson or whatever-his-first-name-is, meaning Arbormon of Earth was a teensy bit hostile towards Kōichi for taking advantage of his weaknesses when he was Duskmon.

Ivankov Zack , former Grottomon of Ground, still erupted at really odd moments coz of the magma no doubt still piled in his head. No one knew what to really make of him, as generally speaking he is a deathly patient person.

We didn't know what became of Dalton Russell and Watanabe Aqumi, the Warriors of Love and Hate.

Russell's human spirit which used to be a MarineAngemon and Beast Spirit Magnadramon still got some laughs from the guys who constantly teased him for representing "Love", even though he was Ophanimon's trusted partner sent to protect Katsaharu and the others with Angemon. We think he went back to America coz that's what his profile in MySpace said.

And Aqumi Warrior of Hate still gave us the jitters. She was the one with the human spirit of MarineDevimon and Beast Spirit of SkullSatamon, sent by Lucemon and who was taking over the Flame Terminal's data when we met her and after a rigorous battle eventually defeated, and purified by Takuya as KaiserGreymon. We think she avoided us on purpose, though she accepted our friend requests in MSN. It was a different thing we almost never saw her online.

Same could be said about Barlas Joanne, the Legendary Warrior of Fear. You might remember her from The Island of the Lost Digimon. She was the one who stirred up this great war between the Human and Beast type Digimon. But just like all the evil Warriors, she was also under orders and brainwashed. Unsurprisingly, we were good friends.

But all good times must come to an end. While the summer vacation was like something out of a story book, living the lives of normal people with normal problems, they had to end. And at the end we all had to turn our separate ways and face reality.

Some of us lived in different countries. Izumi had to go back to Italy where all her maternal family lived, as she had come to Japan on a short term basis. I understand that her family has some sort of hold in Italy, something about Ferrari.

Kōji's dad had to move away again for another one of his business trips to Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and etc.

Kōichi had started backing away from gatherings now that Kōji wasn't around and it was because of him only that he had even started talking to the rest of the gang in the first place and was still a little bit shy around the rest of us.

Joanne and I went back to Pakistan. I had also come to visit distant relatives, like Izumi who had come to Japan coz her father had to sort out some property stuff.

Tomoki had gotten along like pen to paper with Takuya's younger brother Shinya, so despite the promises of being around a lot, Shinya and Tomoki soon got self-absorbed with each other and hit it well off being almost the same age and seldom emerged separate.

When school started again, Junpei was a year ahead of Takuya and Kōichi, and three years ahead of Tomoki.

Tomoki was hanging a lot with Shinya so he pretty much stayed out of the big picture; and Junpei was this popular most sought after guy in his grade because of his natural charm and new found intelligence on how to handle friends.

Kōichi even after banging his head and sustaining a serious head injury somehow continued topping in classes and saw no reason of coming to school regularly and preferred staying at home and taking care of his mother and tutoring other kids in his grade and younger than him for extra money so he and his mother could afford a few luxuries once in a while. He even occasionally solved problems of Junpei's friends and some other older kids.

Takuya involved himself in his school's football team and made friends with his team mates as he was left alone, something he hadn't given much thought to before preferring to save money to join any club instead as then there would've been more chances of major league competitions. But now with plenty of time in his hands he didn't know a better way to avail it, academics being something he wasn't all that fond of to absorb himself in so deeply.

Izumi was the pretty cheerleader type whose guts were hated by everyone other than her own friends who just thought she was simply the best and if one took the time to get to know her, they found out she was one of the nicest people out there, but I believe I've already mentioned that.

And Kōji never liked making friends since before only because of this very reason of his moving around a lot and switching many schools because of his father's job.

The rest we fell out of regular contact with. Sure we saw them online every once in a while but we didn't always talk, as they had formed sort of their own group. They didn't invite me to join them, maybe coz I lived in a different country, or maybe coz they hated my guts like the next person. But I still tried maintaining contact, as what we shared was not just a simple friendship, but a special bond formed from sharing an adventure.

We continued having online conversations together at MSN or Skype or Orkut or whatever. It mostly used to be the original five heroes, and Kōichi and me who used to be a part of "the other side". Izumi always had the same advice on how to move on as our Real World friendships just weren't working even when we were trying our very best to make them work. She continued getting everyone to make new friends and spend more time with them even when no one was that interested in making. There just wasn't the same charm in friendship with people other than our Frontier Gang.

Just like that the years passed by. Everyone kept trying to get together but opportunities were scarce. And then finally, after six years, a beacon of hope lay. Izumi had dropped the bombshell. Her father who was Japanese still needed to sort out the land affairs in Japan and they were coming again for at least a year. As when Izumi's grand-father had died (which was the reason for Izumi's last visit to Japan preceding the trip to the Digital World) he had left his entire fortune to his two sons, the land was what was mostly had gone to Izumi's father, him being older. Zoë had talked her Italian mother last year into going as well.

Kōji last year had succeeded in persuading his father that he wanted to do his high schooling in Japan with his brother and friends. His father had been reluctant, but he couldn't deny his son this privilege, as throughout the years Kōji had grown astonishingly vocal around him and his wife, actually spending time with them. Willingly. And these were the friends of Kōji's who for once in his life had lasted for more than a week anyway. For the past year Kōji has been living with Kōichi and will continue to do so for two more years at least if his father still didn't some back.

The five of them along with Takuya's younger brother Shinya [who was my age though a grade behind me as my birthday was in January and came before April, which was when new class years started. He and Tommy are classmates, so he (Shinya) was a few months younger than me and a few months older than Tomoki] got admission together in one of the top schools in Tokyo, the Kojiki Institute of Literary Learning and Schematics, which was in the Shibuya district. It is almost impossible to get in if you don't have a contact or source. They all managed to get in with just the proper strings pulled by Kōji's father who was doing this all because he just wanted Kōji to remain happy.

Takuya and Shinya got in easily coz their mother is a teacher there.

Kōji then persuaded me to apply for the coming year when I would be starting High School (in Japan, High School starts at grade 10 and grade 9 is still the final year of Junior High), saying that with his father's reference there was hope for me to get a scholarship, which was to be the only way my parents would allow me to leave their nest, so that they won't have to spend much money. Figuring it was a do or die type of thing, as a reunion was so appealing, I applied and succeeded in getting the said scholarship for the horrendously expensive tuition.

After the whole vacation spent begging, I had gotten my parents to let me stay at Izumi's house rather than at my relatives' I hardly know. At least before the vacations ended, which barely gives us a week.

Takuya with his football record and mother's post got a 100% athletic scholarship him being a citizen and being forced to enrol in the football team, not that he had any complaint. Shinya still got a 75% scholarship even if he had more spirits in his pocket to drink than school spirit but it was a big thing he even got admitted, and it was probably the only way their parents had afforded their tuition, with Takuya's family being hand to mouth.

Kōichi with his past record in academics and scoring 110 marks in the 100 marks entrance exam was given a full scholarship eyes closed and hands down. Pfft, nerd.

Junpei's, Izumi's and Tomoki's parents had no problems paying the fees as they had no siblings also in need of education.

So this is it till now. I'm sitting in the airplane writing this as I was stupid enough to pack almost all my novels in my suitcase and only one was in my handbag. That one finished an hour and a half ago. Thank Allah I had my notebook with me as well, where I'm writing this.

What I don't get, is why is this damn trip taking so long? Japan is not even that far away! Stupid stops and stupid waiting. I couldn't go to sleep because of the anxiety to see my friends again. That was more than six hours ago. It's bad enough I had to wait a whole year before joining the group again. Now that I come to think about it, I am wondering if any of the others have changed. I mean so much so has happened, it's kind of difficult not to. Change I mean. What I know from all the video chats and IMs and e-mails is that:

* Kanbara Takuya is the same old hot tempered, impulsive, a bit insecure and extremely friendly (despite his jock profile) when he thinks no one is looking "Always the Leader" and goggle-headed jerk. The last bit was Kōji's one word (actually two) definition not mine. And his voice is less childish now, despite his habits, which are of course, still childish. I think it's the childish part of his which was the reason he doesn't have a girlfriend yet even after having the most prettiest girls confess their feelings for him. But we all know the cheerleaders all go for him coz he's a jock, even though we don't tell him that (except Kōji of course, who always likes to rub stuff in his face. Guys are weird sometimes.).

* Minamoto Kōji, comparing the time when his mouth used to be clammed shut, has started talking on the verge of annoyance now, but only to those close to him (and only those who had known him from his mouth-being-clammed-shut days would see this remarkable change in him and could compare with how impossible he used to be). His voice hasn't changed at all, combined with his maturity, proves our speculations that Kōji must've hit puberty at the age Tomoki was back at the Digital World. Though regardless of the fact that his twin's the one who's the certified academic genius, Kōji took the cake displaying more logic and maturity and being the logical genius. Seriously, for someone who got most of his homework done by his brother to prevent failing and in return get awesome grades, that still didn't explain how he was so damn good in mind games like chess and devised such cool strategies in kendo. Though he acted all strong and mean, Kōji admitted to me once that although he could stand it, he had grown a little dislike of the dark after our trip to the Digital World and preferred light because he felt it somehow zapped his proficiency. He tries to get all his work done at daytime cox he just felt more efficient and better then, probably coz he used to be the Warrior ofLight.

* Shibayama Junpei was and is a perpetual flirt, the same "balance" of the team. Last year he got involved with a girl named Natsumi. He did her and all, and when the time came for him to leave her because things were getting serious to the extreme (for Natsumi only. JP liked to have fun, and fun only and like most guys his age thought that commitment was leprosy) she went all psycho, which in my and Zoë's view is quite understandable (even though Zoë only agreed with me when I opened a separate chat window and threatened to tell everyone that when they first started their journeys she found Kōji "boyfriend material" and has begun to think that way again a little, even if it was now in a "boyfriend on-trial material" basis.) However, that freaked him (JP) out so much that he stopped dating exclusively (not that he was actually dating exclusively before) and now just resolved to having fun with multiple girls at the same time.

* Orimoto Izumi is like JP in a way. But where she differed from him was due to the main factor that she was a girl. And in being a girl she was searching for a real Prince Charming, having very high standards and didn't believe in waiting for a guy to come sweep her off her feet, so she prefers to operate on her own. She had a ridiculous boyfriend "on-trial basis" theory during which she observed if her current guy met all her standards. So far unsurprisingly, no boyfriend of hers had crossed the "on-trial" stage to the next level which is her heart. We all thought this is all Zoë's excuse for being a player, though a sort of different one than JP. JP dated many girls at the same time while Zoë just dumped her current guy whenever she spotted a better and tastier looking eye-candy.

* Himi Tomoki might be gay, because unlike all the adolescents his age, he doesn't even bat an eye when a girl crossed his vicinity and unlike Junpei had no interest in looking under cheerleaders' skirts. But this might be coz of the fact that his eyes are always glued to his PSP or Nintendo DS Lite, one of which he always carries around with him practically everywhere, alternating between the PS and Nintendo DS Lite. So he was stuck in his own complicated love triangle. I mean, I appreciate the intoxicating beauty of video games too, but that doesn't mean I don't also appreciate the intoxicating beauty of the occasional hot guy passing by every once in a while. God Zoë's rubbed off on me.

* Kimura Kōichi with his dislike for long drives coz his motor coordination was never that cool after his accident and made him nauseous as hell whenever it came unpredictably. Even after having regular migraines caused by whenever he's stressed, tensed, concentrating hard on anything for more than an hour (which was his usual maximum time limit he could stand ignoring his headache) or staying way too long in the sun (we still haven't figured out if this part is because of his migraines which resulted after his Head Injury causing him to be a little photophobic and hating flashes and bright sunlight - coz hey too much heat of the day blasted on you causes anyone to have a headache, there are all sorts of harmful rays caused by the sun – or if it's because he used to be the Warrior of Darkness that he started preferring moonlight over sunlight when his weaknesses were visibly too minimal) he was still a bad ass when it came to academics. Maybe it's coz he's test smart he always manages to finish his exams only after around an hour and a half, cox then his head starts to hurt. As to why he wasn't so concerned about dating, he claimed that the seemingly never ending constant chatter of girls gives him a headache, though we haven't made out if his claim is a hoax to avoid being questioned about his love life or he's just avoiding trouble.

I admit, knowing that all of them were meeting in real not on a computer screen every day and telling me all what they're all up to and being in the same school made me… jealous. That they all had each other and I was stuck alone with all my chores and getting the regular cold shoulders from everyone at my school being the only things I had to look forward to. Well, that was going to be changing soon. When they see me, they'll realise exactly what they've been missing not having me around…

* * *

><p><strong>This was just the prologue. The real story begins from the next chapter.<strong> **I don't know which POV to use now the prologue is over but I'll figure something out, most probably I'll just keep a general POV ^_^ Suggestions, help and advices are always welcomed.**


	3. The Best Man Wins

**_The Best Man Wins_**

* * *

><p><strong>4th5th April 2008, Zoë's room, Friday/Saturday, 1:00 am**

We woke up really late today, around 1 pm, and only when Takuya was constantly knocking on the door of Zoë's room. I jumped up, looking here and there and not understanding who was knocking or where the knock was coming from as the door to her room was a bit open. Izumi yawning beside me, pointed to a door partway blocked by her dresser. It was hidden by pink curtains, but I was pretty sure there had to be a door behind them. Eyes wide, I literally thought that the door opened to thin air, as Izumi's room was in the second story of her house. Izumi, however, calmly got up and yelled through the door.

"WHAT?"

I jumped at the sudden volume. And I was even more surprised when Takuya's voice came through the door.

"Aren't you girls done taking your beauty sleeps yet? We came around an hour ago and your parents said you were asleep, and now 5 minutes ago we came back and your parents said you're STILL asleep!"

"Li was tired!" Izumi yelled, blaming the whole thing on me.

"Whatever! Get your butts out in the next 5 minutes! Kōji will treat you to "breakfast"!"

"Oh hello!" we heard Kōji yell, and then some thumping sounds and Aah's and ow's!

"Uh, ok, I'm treating you girls, no worry," we heard Kōji's voice, surprisingly taut.

"You really think they'll be ready in 5 minutes?" We hear Kōichi's soft voice.

His prediction proved to be accurate. 5 minutes stretched to 15 which then stretched to 45 and Izumi was still brushing her hair. I as usual saw no need to brush my hair, and just tied it up in a bunch while I waited impatiently. She wouldn't let me go out without her and then broke into a fit when she saw what I had done to my hair. She then angrily brushed it, causing me to yelp in pain as she took my scalp with it.

By the time we finally got out, after an hour and ten minutes with toasts in hand having spared Kōji, the guys were grumpy for having to wait so long in the sun. I saw the stairs at the side of Izumi's house leading up to a door which I now know is Izumi's room. How convenient.

"Where's Kōichi?" I ask looking around.

"Right here," he says coming from behind us. None of the others looked surprised at his shadow teleportation.

"Where did you come from?" I ask surprised.

"I was sitting in the shade," he says matter-of-factly.

"Where're JP and Tommy?" Zoë asks Takuya as we began walking in the general direction of the Hinokicho Park.

"They'll be in a while, Tomoki is playing King of Fighters with Shinya and I think JP's on a date."

We chatted some more about trivial stuff and I tried catching up to them all. As usual, Kōji and I hit it off instantly as we had almost the same interests.

"Wow," Kōji said.

"What?

"I have heard that girls change, you know, as they grow up."

I choke on my piece of toast. "Whaaaaaaat?"

He laughs. "Not in the sense you're obviously thinking you dirty brained fool."

"Oh," I say awkwardly. "What makes you think I've changed, or would change?"

He pointedly looked at my hair. I self-consciously touched it. This is a bad habit I've to learn to control.

"But I forgot," he continues. "You're not just any girl, you're Lee-Lee!" he laughed at the nickname he had given me as I had more than once corrected them all into pronouncing my name right. This nickname really means that I am a hermaphrodite (As Lili is a girl's name and Li is mostly a guy's name in Cantonese. Kōji knows this, on account of spending a few years in Hong Kong) and he always says it whenever he wants to get on my nerves. He had succeeded.

"I told you not to call me that," I say, a little ticked off.

"Wow," he says, elbowing Kōichi. "She's annoyed."

Kōichi rolls his eyes at me. "Who wouldn't, constantly having to put up with you?"

"Hey," Kōji says, "You guys just don't understand my wonderful alluring charm and sense of humour."

"Fictitious."

"I heard that!"

"Boy," Kōichi says, "You're so deluded."

"You're just too much in love with Li's new hair."

I notice that Kōichi really had been looking at my hair. I made a mental note to thank Zoë later for actually untangling them, even if she had tortured me to death in the process.

Kōichi just grinned. "Maybe I am.'

Kōji pouts teasingly, "More than your sweet, innocent baby brother?"

"You're neither sweet nor innocent. But yes, you are the baby."

As they continued to get on each other's nerves, Zoë mouthed "I-told-u-so" to me. I mouthed "thank-you" back.

Takuya nodded as if to himself, "You really do look like a girl now."

"Hey, you people are talking like I used to have a dick before or something."

"That's not what we all thought at first you know."

Zoë agrees. "Yeah, Kōji's such a gay and you're such a lesbo, you'll make an awesome couple."

Me and Kōji (who heard what she said on top of the argument he was having with Kōichi) thumped her at the same time from opposite sides.

"Ow!"

"Serves you right for calling me a lesbo and dropping me to Kōji's level," I said.

"Hey, what's wrong with a handsome, alluring, irresistible male like me?" Kōji asks.

"You really are gay."

"This coming from a lesbo."

The others looked at our suddenly serious faces uneasily. Then Kōji and I burst out laughing, and the rest of them join us. This was just like the old times, when everyone thought that Kōji and I were fighting seriously and we pretended like we were.

We were still laughing when JP and Tommy joined us in the park, Tommy munching on a chocolate. JP hands us all a bar, giving me an extra one.

"A prize for a girl on her way to absolute hotness, though it'd work more if you pitied all the black eye powder in this world," he says, sitting down.

"It's called surma, or kohl for you. And thanks JP."

"Nah, surma's easier to pronounce. And you apply it so much that it looks like someone punched you and gave you a black eye, like a gothic chick."

"Kōji and Kōichi also apply it," I say pointedly.

"Yeah, but Kōji's an eyeliner thing which makes him look like a gay punk. And Kōichi's is a little smeared thing which gives him his preferred tortured emo-kid look. But it's just not my type."

"Ha, like I'd ever want to be your type."

"Yeah," JP agrees. "There's someone else who's totally my type."

He snakes his arm around Zoë. To everyone's surprise and JP's own, she didn't remove it like she always does. Silence followed. That is, until Tommy spoke.

"Hey Li, did u check out Benemaru's max power in the new KOF? Totally off the hook man!"

I was still speechless by the JP and Izumi thing. "Nah, I like Kyo better than Benemaru," I managed to say.

"Yeah, his max is cool too. And anyway, you won't think it was possible for me to discover a new move of Ralph's…"

JP interrupted. "Hey man, is this all you ever do? Don't you have better things to talk about? Like girls?"

Takuya snorted. "Yeah right, imagine if he started talking like that about girls like this instead of video games."

Everyone did, and after a few seconds shuddered horribly.

"He'll be worse than JP!"

JP ignored us, getting up and pulling Tommy to stand. "Look, let me give you a few pointers. What you need to know about girls is…" he said leading him away from the group.

"I don't like the looks of this," I say uneasily. I turn towards Takuya who has the most influence on Tommy. I don't know if this still holds true.

"Nii-san, stop this."

Takuya however laughs, not worried. "I know Tommy. All he needs is a girl to infatuate him to get him into his sexual senses. Else… he might be gay."

"Takuya!" Me and Zoë reprimand him together.

"Huh? What?"

Me and Zoë exchange knowing glances. There was a shortage of hot guys as it is.

"How come you never call me or Kōichi nii-san (big brother)? We're older than you as well," Kōji says, off topic.

"God Kōji, you've started talking too much for your own good. Ototo-kun (little brother)!"

"Hey!"

Kōichi grins and slaps me a hi-five. "Attagirl!"

To my surprise, I felt myself grinning broadly back, having this funny feeling in my stomach at his approval. I feel so dumb thinking about that right now. All this because he likes my hair?

JP and Tommy came back and resumed their seats. JP was encouraged by Izumi not slapping him off before, so he puts his hand on her knee. And again, completely unlike Zoë, she didn't push back. Everyone had noticed this but pretended not to. I saw Takuya's fists clench. He was busy listening to what Tommy was saying to him, but it was clear where his attention was diverted. Kōji was looking at Takuya's body language as concerned as I was, carefully observant.

As it was getting dark, and Izumi's mother had made it pretty clear that we were not to take long as she had to entertain guests and needed our help for dinner, we got up to go.

JP had brought his car as he had been on a date. "Here," JP threw his keys to Kōji, who caught it with his finger by the ring. Jeez, how does he _do_ that? His reflexes are those of a ninja. "You fight the traffic, while I make myself comfortable."

Takuya and Tommy waved goodbye, as they were going to Takuya's home together by subway to get home in less than half the time we will use to cover a few blocks. Tommy shook my hand while Takuya particularly took longer than necessary to hug Zoë. When he was finally done (I can swear he didn't look a bit like he had wanted to let go), he just shook my hand. The gesture was so obvious; I honestly don't know how guys can be so blind. The bastard is totally in love with her! Then the guys all bumped with each other the weird way guys do instead of just saying "goodbye" properly.

JP was all planning on sitting between us girls at the back, when Kōji spotted the immediate problem, understanding what JP had really meant when he said he wanted to make himself comfortable.

"Oh, no you don't!" Kōji says.

"What?" JP says, totally innocently.

"No way are you messing with my sisters on my watch!"

"But I didn't do anything!"

"You feel guilty you are guilty. Koi! Up front with me."

"But why does Kōichi get to have all the fun?" JP whined.

"Coz you're a perv, and he's nowhere near as one like you."

"Aw man!" JP sighs unhappily, going up front. Izumi and I giggled at Kōichi's dumbfounded look.

But then, Izumi and I both started arguing about being the one to sit on the window seat. Kōichi rests his head in his hands and yells albeit softly that he will sit in the middle and we can both sit by the window. But please just stop the piercing voices as he was getting a headache. That stopped the argument right there.

On the way, JP kept looking back jealously at him, and scrutinising carefully if anyone of us made any movement. He kept doing that until Kōji finally got tired and threatened to smack his head on the windshield to make him look straight. Knowing Kōji, it was possible that he would carry out his threat. So JP behaved.

I kept finding something or the other to talk about to Izumi, but it was just an excuse to glance at Kōichi. In reality, I was checking him out in a completely new way. After some time he leaned his head back against his seat, closing his eyes. I freaked out, thinking I had caused one of his infamous migraines by my constant chatter. Kōji however, told me not to worry. Some drives just tired him. I wasn't complaining. As now, I could look at him freely. I admit, I was actually… staring. A little. I couldn't help it. I didn't know why. I had this sudden extremely weird craving to feel his huge Adam's apple which was thrusting outward with his head leaned back.

I thought I saw Kōji looking at me from the rear-view mirror but as my eyes snapped there, Kōji was just swearing at somebody who had just cut in front of him. Then I thought I saw Zoë look at me and I jerked my head there, but she was texting someone. She looked up when she saw me looking and smiled, showing me the text. It was from Takuya, teasing us that he was home already and helping himself to Shinya's and Tommy's snacks and complaining about how he and Tommy had nothing to drink as Shinya had gotten a six pack beer for all of them and had forgotten accidently-on-purpose that Tommy and Takuya didn't drink.

"Tell him to put a sock in it," I tell Izumi and she laughs. JP immediately turns around and Kōji with his eyes still ahead turned his head straight again with one hand still on the steering wheel.

When we finally got home, Kōichi jerked awake and we all said our goodbyes. JP was too scared of Kōji to try anything other than gripping Zoë's hand. Being huger than him in a respectable scale he was still afraid of him. Typical. The guys saw us safely to the door before leaving.

Izumi's mother called us from the kitchen when she heard us come in. And we only left that place to serve the guests. Izumi and I chatted as we washed the dishes.

"What's going on in your evil little mind about JP?"

"There's nothing… ow!" Izumi hissed as I knock her. "Una brutta! I was telling you!" she swears in Italian. "There is nothing going on between us. But I'm bored, and I want to spend some time with someone. What's wrong with that?" she adds upon seeing my dumbstruck expression.

She continued when I didn't say anything, continuing to wash the dishes.

"So if JP or anyone hot proposes to me, I'll accept it. On trial of course. But JP is that sort of wild animal who'll follow the bait I lay out for him and eat from my hand. So I don't have to work on keeping him infatuated to keep him on his toes you know, and to impress me. Well, and he has developed nice abs…" She puts a finger on her chin and spaces out, thinking about his muscles. I was more or less - well pretty much – disgusted.

"So you'll use him just like Hiro, and before that Enrique or Nando or Antonio or Renaldo or Troy or Ashton or… or that-hot-guy-with-the-foot-rash and Allah knows who else!"

"Well," Izumi said thoughtfully. "You missed so many like Gero and Ethan and Ohio and many others, but I don't blame you for not remembering them all. But Antonio, Nando, Enrique, that hot-guy-with-the-foot-rash – really, what WAS his name? I'm pretty sure it's not "Foot-rash Guy" – Roberto, Renaldo and whoever else, you know very well that they were all…"

"… On trial," I completed her, exasperated. "But please remember this Izumi. JP's also our friend, and hurting him might very well upset our friendship."

She waved her hand carelessly. "Oh please. He knows very well how I am. I tell all my boyfriends since the beginning only that they're on trial, and that if they fail to come up to my standards, there's nothing I can do," she shrugs. "So I'm not responsible for any heart-breaks please. It's not like I don't warn them the first thing."

"You're unbelievable!" I yell as loud as I could without disturbing anyone in the other room. But she just laughs at my expression. We were done with all the work.

"Anyway, we better go to sleep in my room. I'm really tired. And you know how my parents will make you sleep in the visitor's room with plenty of room instead of getting cramped in with me if they find you awake."

"But I'm not done yet!" I say as we climbed the stairs and enter her room.

She yawns. "Ok, when we both get ready for bed," she says, going to the bathroom while I go to the one in the visitor's room. By the time I came back to her room, I found her feigning sleep. Grumbling, I take out this notebook and begin to write. And now I really should be getting to sleep. I'm still not used to going to bed this early, but I don't want Izumi's parents to come and find me awake either.

* * *

><p><strong>6th April '08 as it's after midnight, Visitor's room in Zoë's house, Sunday as it's after midnight, 2:30 am<strong>

"She said all this?" said a shocked JP. I had just finished telling him my conversation with Zoë, to spare his heart, and also coz I was sorry for him as he was another fly stuck in Izumi's web. Not that I was sorry for him in general. He's a bigger bastard than Izumi if you see to it. I had thought about this before going to sleep last night and figured this was probably the best thing to do.

We were at Midtown Garden in Roppongi, a part of the Hinogicho Park we visited yesterday, the district where Zoë is living. Far of, Takuya and Zoë sat by the lake, having soaked their feet till their calves and splashing their toes. Takuya occasionally picked a stone and threw it as far as he could in the water, sending it skipping across the surface. Izumi was trying and failing to match his furthest throw, but she kept trying, laughing with him.

Kōji and Kōichi were forcing Tomoki to drink sake. Kōichi had Tommy in an arm lock while Kōji tried to force the drink in straight from the bottle, spilling it under his collar as Tommy struggled. I guess it was a mistake I did last night saying it out loud about Tommy hating the smell of alcohol, but it was amusing to watch all the same. I had dragged JP away from the crowd to tell him about Izumi's evil plot.

"Yes, and she also said she knew you'd follow her around like a lost puppy without a leash."

"I can't believe it. I can't believe she actually…" he broke off, his expression constipated. I reached up to place a hand on his shoulder, sympathetically, as in that moment he really did look like he was holding back his stomach.

"I know it's harsh, but I felt like I really had to war…" I break off as he knocks my hand off, and very emotional, runs off in Izumi's direction, no doubt to yell at her, I thought.

"JP!" I yelped. "You're not supposed to tell her I told you anything!"

I run after him trying to stop him before he reaches her. He had gotten a head start on me, but I was still lighter and speedier. He realises the fact and stops around a 100 yards from Takuya and Zoë and screams her name.

"Izumi-chaaaaan!"

Everyone turns their head to look; Takuya and Izumi stone in hand, Tommy with his face revolted and tongue hanging out, Kōji sake bottle in hand, and Kōichi holding on to Tommy's arm pits.

"Doshta JP-kun?" Izumi calls back.

JP looked like he would explode if he held back what he had to say for another second.

"Can I be your boyfriend on-trial?" he screamed.

My mouth dropped to the ground. Kōji whirled around completely, full attention now, eyes flying from him to Zoë. Kōichi's grip slackened and Tommy seized the opportunity to pull off, hands flying over his mouth to stop himself from puking. Kōji looks at Kōichi and said what the fuck? I couldn't hear him but I saw his mouth clearly form the words. Takuya was silent, but his face expression registered Kōji's words. Izumi smiled as she looked over JP to me, in her usual triumphant look of I-told-you-so.

Looking back at JP, she said, "Yes."

With this one word, JP lost all sense of the world. I believe he yelled something like "Yeeee-haaaa" at the top of his lungs, then ran full speed towards Kōji, Kōichi and Tommy, and pulled a limp Tommy in a bear hug. Tommy's face went from pale green to an angry shade, but before he could spill his guts, he lets go and thumped Kōji and Kōichi, who stood at either side of him, at the same time, so hard and unexpectedly that the two fell, Kōji holding the sake bottle away from harm's way (i.e. the ground) and Kōichi just managing to prevent hitting his head. He ran to me but I held both my hands on his face. I am still extremely angry. He saw my clenched teeth but was too happy.

"Gommenasai Li-chan, but I couldn't pass up this chance. You don't have to worry, I know I can make us both settle down, was always looking for just a chance to do so!" He tried to hug me anyway but being much smaller than him I had a bit of an advantage and managed to squirm my way out. Then he ran towards Zoë and Takuya. Neither Takuya's pasty white face nor his position had changed. JP thumped him back, almost sending him for a nice swim in the pond.

"Sorry man, but the best man won! Woo-hoo!" He ran again to Kōji, snatching the sake bottle from his hand and downing the contents in one gulp. I ran as fast as I could to Takuya, who looked like he had seen Medusa, Kōji and Kōichi following suit from the other direction. Zoë however was dragged away by JP and could be seen trying to stop JP from waltzing her around.

"Takuya?" I cried. "Say something. Please!"

"Snap out of it man!" Kōji says, snapping his fingers in front of his eyes.

"You ok buddy?" Kōichi says.

Takuya looks at us all in confusion, still in shock. He goes back to staring at the water. After a few tries, he swallows a huge lump which had formed in his throat and was preventing him from speaking, looking a lot like a fish out of the water he was looking at so intently with eyes wide and dilated pupils. It appeared as if it calmed him down. At least he was showing signs of life. Then he took in a deep breath holding it in for a few seconds before letting it out in a disdainful and hopeless sigh. Finally looking up at our concerned faces, he smiles sadly and says in a very small voice, barely getting the words out.

"Ah well. He's right. I lost. The best man won."


	4. Too Hot To Handle

**_Too Hot to Handle_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>(Continued entry…)<em>**

After the usual summary of the day's happenings to Izumi's parents (leaving out the part about JP's proposal and the date), we went to the kitchen to have a late dinner though I didn't see how Zoë would be able to eat anything. Back at the garden, Takuya and Tomoki seemed to have lost their appetites and Junpei had informed everyone that if no one as interested in having dinner, then he was taking Izumi out for a bite to eat, as they were both hungry. Kōji went to drop Tomoki off home as he seemed too unstable to go home himself on his bicycle. I was to wait for Zoë to come back or her parents would get suspicious if I went back alone. Junpei offered me to go with them but I with clenched teeth told them that they should enjoy their first date alone. Kōichi, after asking five times if I would be ok handling a very distraught Takuya on my own finally decided to stay with us.

Back at the kitchen, I was surprised to see Zoë actually take her normal amount of dinner.

_Didn't JP and Zoë already have dinner?_ I thought. My mind jumped to all sorts of places Junpei could have taken her and what they would've done.

Just as soon as her mother left the kitchen, Zoë emptied more than three quarters of her plate back in the bowl, and looked back at me, smiling, apparently unfelt by the daggers in my eyes.

"That JP sure knows his dates," Zoë says. I continue eating, ignoring her.

"You should've come with us you know, you would've enjoyed a lot. JP took me to this wonderful karaoke bar, the kind with the sound proof walls on every booth, and we ate to our heart's content and sang our hearts out," she teases, knowing my weakness for fast foods.

"Oh, excuse me if I preferred to stay back with Takuya. He has no girlfriend," I reply pointedly.

"Oh," Izumi says airily. "He should get one you know. All the girls I know, both from here and Italy, think he's some sort of god. He has his pick. But I simply don't see what they see in him," Izumi says shaking her head. I agreed but kept quiet, seething inwardly.

"Maybe he doesn't want just a random pick. Maybe he's actually waiting for the right person to come in his life."

Izumi laughs. "Oh, your so called theory of the One again! Listen, how do you expect to score when you don't even play the field?"

"Actually, I'd rather play pinball. Have bumps, tilts and bounces and all but just stick with one ball and do any means just to not let it fall."

"Awww… How can such an angel like you be friends with a steel hearted bitch like me? And _I'm_ supposed to be Fairymon and _you_ Mercuremon."

I didn't find this funny. I was spared to answer when Izumi's mother came back to put away the bowls and dishes. She frowned at Izumi's plate.

"Izumi, what's this? Why is your plate not clean?"

The mystery of why she had not dumped away the rest was solved as Izumi spoke next.

"I'm so full mamma!" she groans. "I had this jumbo ice cream on our way back home. Li ate two ice creams and I don't know how she finished it all." She rubs her stomach for effect.

"Uno stupido!" she scolds her daughter. "How many times have I told you to only take the amount you want to eat and not wasting anything? It's the same thing every day. Do you ever understand what I say?"

Zoë gets up and stretched. "Gome (sorry) mamma. Goodnight, my bed calls me."

Putting my dishes away in a hurry, I run to catch up with her.

"Just out of curiosity, how long do you plan on carrying this?'

She stifles a yawn. "I'm so sleepy. Oh, as long as I don't find someone totally sexy when school starts."

Just as we were sneaking back up, Zoë's father caught us and calls us over. Her mother came back from the kitchen. This time, there was no excuse; visitor's room for me. I tried protesting, that why would Ifeel congested, I share a room back home with two my sisters anyway. But being the hospitable people that they were, they wouldn't hear of it. They said they believed in keeping a person as comfortable as possible, and I couldn't argue back with them, though I'm not saying I didn't try, without sounding rude that is. But I really HAD to talk to Zoë. My problems were solved as I was lying sitting on my futon writing this when Zoë pushes the door open and upon closing it, I saw she had her pillow and sheet in hand and comes to rest beside me.

She giggles. "I knew you were too much of a goody-goody to dare try disobeying my parents."

"Well, I'm not free to disobey them like you are you know," I say.

She laughs. "Sometimes I wish I was in your place. Being an only child makes you want certain weird things, and besides, what's a sleepover without sleeping in the same room? Oh here's an idea. We should so totally have a pyjama party with all the guys. It's been such a long time since we've actually been together!"

"Ummm… Zoë… I don't think any parent in their right mind would allow that."

"Oh come on… It's not like we didn't sleep together all the time in the Digital World."

"I'm pretty sure that was different."

"Well, we could have something like an all-night party… Go bowling or something like that."

"You know what? Talk about it when the time comes."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, I want to continue where we left of. So you said you'll keep JP as your pet till someone totally smashing comes along. And what about the hots you've had for Kōji?"

She shrugs. "Oh, I just found him hot, that's it. If he still proposes me I'll accept. On trial of course. There's just something sexy about a guy who knows how to fight and can protect you from anyone who tries to harass you. But I don't see that happening, seeing as he's gay. Heavens forbid _I'll_ not be the one ever to ask him out."

"Kōji's not gay!" I say, shocked.

She raises an eyebrow. "Anyone who doesn't fall head over heels for me _is_ gay. This much has always been obvious," she says matter-of-factly.

I fume, because I know she speaks the truth. That only left Kōichi's sexuality in question as we were discussing Tommy's yesterday only. "What about Kōichi?" I ask.

"No, Kōichi's not gay. I see the way he looks at you."

"Kōichi doesn't look at me that differently from anyone. He looks at me the same way he looks at you!"

"No, I don't think so, not anymore, not after seeing you after all this time."

I seriously thought she had gone nuts. And crackers. But then again, she's not the first person tonight who has commented on it, although Takuya had only teased when Takuya, Kōichi and I were the only ones who had remained at the park. Deciding to ignore this comment for now, I press her further.

"Ok, whatever, so coming back to the initial topic. So you'd just use Kōji and then dump him when you're done with him and not even leave left-overs for the girl who might be his One."

She rolls her eyes. "Of course, coz I don't believe in this "the One" nonsense as passionately as you do."

"You are such a promiscuous bitch. If it was someone other than you," I say with venom, "I'd've said that you'd regret all your words and actions when you finally do meet your One. Or you would've already driven him away, refrained him from ever meeting you at all and making sense out of your mass of tangled love lives."

"I may come across a favourite candy once in a while, but you can't just spend all your life licking it without trying and tasting others. I'd rather try all the candies in the shop before deciding which one is my favourite."

"Someday Zoë, you will decide that you want the most expensive and valuable candy in the shop. You'll be wanting it so desperately, but then you'll find out that you're broke, and you just can't buy it. What'll you do then? Someone will buy it before you can come up with any money. And it'll be just gone. Vanished, and lost forever."

She laughs sweetly. "I can always steal. And what're friends for anyway? I'll just simply borrow some from you."

I shake my head, giving up. She is just impossible to deal with, or to make something actually pass by her head. She's just too damn stubborn, not unlike Takuya.

"You are so stubborn. You and Takuya are made for each other."

She laughs airily, breaking it with a huge yawn. "Now if you are done, I'd really like to get some sleep. Tonight drained a lot out of me, and my vocal cords are still sore from all the singing."

She turns her back on me, lifting the covers over her shoulder, leaving me staring at her blanketed back.

Seriously, sometimes I myself wonder how I can be best friends with someone like her. We're so different and hold so many different opinions in many ways.

Checking to see if she was safely asleep, I take out this notebook and am still writing as I'm not sleepy yet. And this is the only time I write, as I don't like people asking me questions about what I am writing or disturbing me when I'm in the process, even my best friends. Sometimes there's this limit.

I reflect upon what happened after JP and Zoë had left, leaving me, Takuya and Kōichi alone in the park.

* * *

><p>"So I guess it's just us now," Kōichi says.<p>

"Yeah," I mutter.

"So how're you holding up at Zoë's?" he says trying to make conversation.

"Pretty well," I say. "Her parents seem happy to have me as a guest, seeing Zoë's pretty much been the only one they've to take care of. They make me feel like their daughter only. Auntie even said she wishes I was her daughter too, as I seem to keep Zoë under control. Her words, not mine."

"Well, that's good. Ka-san (mother) is really happy to have Kōji as well. It was really with a heavy heart do-san (father) sent Kōji."

"Really? Why?"

"I think he must've felt he had handed both sons to my mother," Kōichi chuckles.

"Haha! Or maybe he felt that your mother will sue him for full custody."

Kōichi laughs. Even Takuya gives a dry chuckle and finally joins the conversation.

"Tell your mother she's free to have Shinya. I'll personally defend her case instead of me parents'!"

"She can have all my siblings!" I say.

We all laugh at the finally light mood.

Kōichi glances sideways at Takuya before saying, "Wow, it was weird about Zoë and JP."

"So weird!" I exclaim. "I thought Takuya liked her," I say looking at Takuya.

"Nah, if he'd've he would have said something." Kōichi looks at Takuya as well. "Wouldn't you've?"

Takuya sighs lightly. "Not really. What I thought I had for her wasn't serious or anything. But I admit I had just thought about giving it a shot with her you know? See if it worked out. Not that I had much chance anyway, I know she doesn't take her relations seriously."

"You're right about that," I hurry to put in. "She'll no doubt break up with him within the week."

"Yeah, and then you can ask her out Takuya," Kōichi adds helpfully.

Takuya shakes his head, giving what appeared to be a forced chuckle. "Nah. These things are scary, chasing after a girl. I don't think I like anyone being able to control me that way. Besides, there's always this thing about being friends before. Who knows if she inevitably breaks up with me, will I still be able to look at her the same? I mean come on, I'm a dude. You can't make me forget what I've…"

"Hush!" Kōichi interrupts him, throwing me a sidelong glance. When I understood the gesture, I hit Takuya's arm. It always strikes me funny when they act like that, forgetting that I'm – a girl - sitting in their midst, and I as usual have to act dumb and pretend that I haven't heard or understood when they let slip some really nasty code worded language.

"Ow! I only meant it's much better and easier of thinking about her in the lines of sisterly instead of as a hot babe."

Kōichi nods in agreement. I smack him again. Everyone knows how I feel about words like "chick" and "babe", yet they continue to let it slip out some times.

"I'm going to pretend that you didn't say a lot and I didn't hear a lot. But yeah, you are right about the friend part. It'll be so weird if you guys won't be friends anymore. I tried grilling her about this only last night about this for JP but she refused to understand. She says they both are smart and mature enough not to involve friendships with relationships"

"I know," Kōichi says. "But there's also the thing about mutual friends, like all of us. Look at Kōji for example. He thinks of Li and Zoë both as sisters. Imagine if Li and I ever started going out. I'm his brother. It'd definitely be weird for him to be around us anymore, not knowing whose side to take. So how'd we know to take JP's side or Zoë's when they do break up?"

Takuya snapped his head up, a wicked glint in his eyes.

"Kimura, did you just say what I think you said?"

Kōichi blinks "Gome?"

Takuya points at me and Kōichi, index finger pinned at me and middle finger a little raised pointed at Kōichi. Guys are so… crude. That wasn't all. His fingers were apart, but then he kept repeatedly hitting them together like a miniature sock puppet being moved to speak. I felt my ears boiling like they do whenever I'm caught with my hand inside the cookie jar or, like in this case, when I'm embarrassedly immobilised. Or in other words, blushing. But I don't blush, no way. Only my ears heat up. I know this coz whenever it happens I touch them and they feel hot.

"You just said to imagine you with Li."

Kōichi is a bit too slow, and he's confused why my face appears to be flushed. Because I don't blush, it is so beneath me.

"So?" he says, confused.

"Must you be so dense? You just accidentally confessed us your… uhhh… secret desire!" Takuya says, controlling his language in front of me thank Allah! I don't know how much more I could've taken.

Kōichi blinked at least two or three times. Then his cheek starts twitching their habitual way. His mouth gaped open and his face brightened. I guess blushing is not beneath him.

"No… No! That's so not what I…" He stops as Takuya was laughing so hard.

"NO! I just said to _imagine_ if…"

"You and her get together," Takuya completes, still laughing and clutching his sides at Kōichi's expression.

"Yes! I mean no! Kami no, you've got me confused on purpose!"

Looking at Takuya laugh a few giggles escape me. This laugh of Takuya's really seemed genuine, unlike the fake and half-hearted chuckles he was giving earlier. Kōichi and I were both relieved to see him get right back on the track, coz even he smiled weakly. There on, we weren't nervous as what to speak anymore and didn't have to fight to make conversation.

We talked, cracked jokes and had our time. Then we went to the playground of Midtown Garden and on the swings like little kids. Takuya and Kōichi thought they could scare me by pushing me too far too fast but on the contrary I screamed in delight. Kōichi went on the slide after helping a few kids on it first. Takuya went right into the jungle gym type thing and shouted, "Boo!" scaring the hell out of the kids who ran screaming out.

Then we went to the mini basketball court and started playing. Kōichi got tired after a while as he claims he is out of practice and has been really more of a nerd bookish type lately coz he intends to get a full academic scholarship to University of Tokyo with board and tuition. But I didn't see how he'd willingly leave his mother alone, but as we were in such a joyful mood I didn't want to spoil it by bringing it up. Who knows, maybe he was just making excuses anyway.

Takuya however was really pumped up and wanted to continue playing. Being in the basketball team back home, I knew I could whip his butt, so it was with confidence I came back to have a one on one battle with Takuya. Unfortunately for me, Takuya turns out to be as much of a basketball player as football. It was perfectly understandable, seeing as when I tried out for the basketball team in school I turned out to be a little short of natural thanks to my homing skills in football only where I played defender and goalie sometimes in matches with other kids in my area. However, what we played back home was more of futsal without any rules at our local playground. The jerk gave me a very tough and sweaty battle.

Just when I thought my kidneys were going to explode, I was saved when more people came to play. Takuya and I couldn't hog the court, as that's what we virtually had been doing anyway. We were offered to join and be captains of opposing teams and carry on our battle in a team match. Takuya politely declines, talking to all the guys and girls on first name basis. Takuya turns out to be a regular, in a park of the district where Zoë lives. Why am I not surprised?

Then we had the jumbo ice creams which Izumi lied to her mother about having herself. We were licking these when JP and Zoë came back. I stole a sideways glance at Takuya to check his reaction. He had a smile on his face as he and Kōichi went and thumped JP on his back. While they had their usual drone of meaningless guy talk, I looked at Zoë. She really did look like she had a nice time judging by her flushed cheeks. I tried to make out if there had been any kissing or touching, but her face gave away nothing. A mark of professionalism, just like JP's, though I strongly suspect JP's more… _Graphical_… in his reviews while talking to guys. I think he will spare any or all descriptions of Zoë to our gang, as it was like dating the sister of your friends. And you don't tell how your date went or what you did to your date's siblings. At least, I _hope_ JP won't do anything to embarrass Zoë. He has always appeared to have held a special place for Zoe in his heart.

JP insisted on dropping us girls off. He had his car again which he had brought on his way back from his first date of today. And it wasn't the same girl who he had taken out yesterday. Don't ask, don't tell he had said at the time, but only because Zoë and I were present. I shudder to think of what would happen to his poor girlfriends if he really is deciding on settling down with Zoë.

I couldn't say anything as JP opened the door for Zoë to sit up front of him, as she is now his official "girlfriend". Nor could I say anything when he raised her hands to his lips, even as we all watched.

The ride back was uneventful for me. JP held Zoë's hand. Then he put his hand on her lap, then knee, then around her shoulders. The whole process kept repeating, much to my agony. When we got home, JP looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to exit the car. But I can be just as stubborn. I stared rudely back. JP sighs, as Zoë giggled. He leaned and kissed her on the cheek, then rushed out to open the door for Zoë. I kept an eagle eye on them as I got out by myself as well. He held her hand till we reached the door then pecked her on the lips. There was nothing more he could do with me breathing down their necks, but this really is something new. JP is never shy in front of any of us when it comes to his girls, and actually enjoys PDA. He had to leave before we could ring the bell, to avoid suspicion.

* * *

><p>I am still fuming as I get more comfortable on the futon, finally getting ready to sleep. In the last words of this entry, I express my concern about the future. I just hope that Zoë or JP doesn't hurt anyone so badly to divide our whole group. That really won't be cool. And neither of them can then say I didn't warn them. I'll be the first to say I-told-you-so.<p>

* * *

><p><strong><em>6th April '08, Zoë's room, 11:59 pm<em>**

This will be a short entry. It's because if Zoë's parents catch us before we have a chance to properly dream up an excuse, we'll be dead. And it's all Zoë's fault; her and her raging hormones.

Zoë was late from her date yesterday also, but we were still able to reach home only a little after 10:30 pm. Zoë's curfew – and mine also since I'm spending the last night at her house – is at 10:00 pm. We had some explaining to do and summarising the day's events carefully, we were able to get away with it. But now? Not much of a chance. Why? We reached home only 5 minutes ago. _Reach _is probably not the best choice of words. _Sneaking in _is more appropriate.

Zoë seriously crossed her limits this time. I remember it being past 11 and we STILL aren't home yet. And don't think I had forgotten about the downtown traffic we'll be inevitably hitting in the always clogged streets of Tokyo. I was worried sick, and I couldn't stop pacing like a big anxious feline creature. The guys had all stayed behind for me, and I was really glad of the company. _But why wasn't she here yet?_ I mentally kept screaming. Her parents are so going to kill us. And it was my third and last night even.

I kicked a big stone angrily, causing my nerves to throb. I kneeled with clenched teeth to see if I had broken any nails. The guys were all looking at me bemused. Of course, they're guys, they can never understand about girls' restrictions, having never been imposed on them. Sure they have their own restrictions but they're non serious and guys are easily able to worm out of it. Girls? Not so easily.

Just as I was fearing Auntie was going to call my mother back home and my mother will demand my return by the very next flight even if my family had their scheduled flight tomorrow, headlights pierced the darkened street. They were back. Letting out an angry sigh-scream of relief, I ran to the car waving goodbye to the guys barely half-turning, my dupatta flying off my shoulders. I opened the car door before it could properly stop and got inside the air conditioned vehicle. I simple couldn't believe the smile I saw on Zoë's face. She knew more than me about how much trouble we could both be in.

"Orimoto Izumi!" I yell. "What the hell is the meaning of this? Where the heck WERE you guys?"

I looked accusingly at JP. JP held his hands over the steering wheel in a gesture of surrender and looked at me in the rear-view mirror.

"Gommenasai (I'm sorry) Li-chan. We just lost track of time."

"Fine loss of time!" I said, unable to stop myself yelling. "Do you know how much trouble are we in or have you lost track of that too?"

I turn to Zoë. "Your mother has already called me three to four times!"

"Oh, she called me at least 6 to 7 times," she answers my yelling totally calmly. "You didn't answer did you?"

"Of course I didn't! How could I have? If she would've asked me to give you the phone or something, what the hell would I've said then?"

"Good then. I have a plan Li. You don't have to yell."

"HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME NOT TO YELL?" I shrieked, my voice growing more and more pitchy with every syllable.

"Wow, you scare too easily."

I remained quiet now, trying to succumb inside myself all the nasty words I had rehearsed to throw at them.

We came from behind her house, not upfront where we could be seen from the front window where a light was still on. JP had his headlights off and slowed his engine to a crawl as to not make much noise, and parked behind Zoë's red Ferrari. We got out after JP kissed her just like last night in front of me. I couldn't see any point of the trouble of coming from the back way, as we would soon have to barge in from the front door anyway as soon as we gathered enough nerve and a ready excuse. But Zoë took my hand and let me towards the side grill with staircase beside the dumpster and which Takuya and the twins had climbed over that day. I thought she intended for us to climb over the grill as well, so I pushed back my sleeves. But Zoë took out a butterfly keychain from her purse and opened the door, locking it behind her. Then upon climbing the steps and reaching the door, Zoë simply used another key from the chain and unlocked that door as well. She pulled the pink curtains aside and we moved the dresser a little, and half jumped through it and quickly covering our tracks.

Some of my stuff and clothes were in Zoë's room only, curled up in a ball I had been too lazy to fold properly and put it back in my overnight bag. My laziness for once proved to be lucky, as there was no way in hell I would risk stepping out of her room and running into her parents. I extricated my night suit from the ball and Zoë and I both changed out of our clothes in record time.

As we lay down to sleep, I question Zoë.

"What are we going to tell your parents?"

"Nothing," she says simply.

"Sure, and they're so gonna let us get away with just "_nothing_"."

"I'll tell them we were both so tired we went to sleep directly."

"And how and when did we come back?"

"They mustn't have heard us, we'll say."

"Zoë, I'm pretty sure your parents are not that dumb."

"Well, we thought they were asleep, so we opened the door really carefully and slowly with my key instead of ringing the bell and waking them up. Then we came directly here. Come on they'll not really say anything, not as long as you're here. Besides, we're kids. Kids break curfews all the time."

"Won't they think we were up to something bad and suspicious?"

"Li, my parents are not like your parents."

"I know, but still. I'm scared I might not be allowed to visit anymore or something."

"Jesus Li, you worry too much. Now go to sleep and forget all this. And stop _worrying_. Now, goodnight."

"Goodnight Zoë." I say, dropping the topic.

Is it just me, or Zoë's getting serious? And this was just the second day. Does she really like him? Or is she just falling for JP's allure? But I know JP and I don't really think he'll not use Zoë like this. Besides, it's not like Zoë's inexperienced. On the contrary she has plenty of experience. She sees stuff around her all the time – heck, she's frown up in Italy. And then there are all her stories and her boyfriends whom she remembers only coz she's kept them "numbered". Even JP's like that. I know it's absurd, but I wonder if he really is serious when he said he can make them both settle down.

* * *

><p><strong><em>7th April '08, Monday, 3:17 pm<em>**

Izumi was lying on her stomach on her bed, the end of her pen pushing against her chin, trying to decide which subjects to take when we start school tomorrow as we all barged in led by Lili who had let us in. This caused her to jump through the roof. I assume she was in what she'd call her "worst"… Her dad's old shirt and flappers, hair pushed back in a ponytail tied by a rubber band to prevent them getting on her face. It's obvious she hasn't changed since waking up.

I laugh. "Hahaha! It looks like Li is being a terrible influence on you."

"Hey!" Li says. True, she herself was wearing what she almost usually wears; baggy capris, her older brother's T-shirt and her trade mark dupatta which she wore like a scarf in front of her, both sides of chiffon falling over her chest and matching the colour of her capris, giving the appearance of almost choking her. Her long uncombed hair was in a bun, classic Japanese style. She had obviously thought it was a waste of time to comb her hair and tie it properly, and it is a mystery if she has changed since waking up or not. It is hard to believe that someone as small and lazy as her played was packed with suppressed energy.

She would be really pretty if she wore a short skirt for once in her life and lost the dupatta cascading down her chest and styles her hair, like she did on Friday, and trims the split ends which she claims she likes. Even her eyebrows aren't threaded like practically _every_ girl you see nowadays, which actually is serving to display innocence and modesty, like she didn't actually show enough of that. I think the correct term is _making an effort. _

I will never tell her - because that is just something you don't tell girls, even the ones closest to you - that Kōji and I boxed three guys straight in the jaw for yelling obscenities about her chest size yesterday, obscenities which we can only thank kami-sama she didn't hear and spoil her… _innocence_.

I don't know why needle-thin girls like Zoë even call her fat, she's perfectly fine. In fact, girls like Zoë would actually look much better if they didn't always make themselves starve to death and instead actually develop more curves. She's like a baby sister I don't have and most probably never will have.

"Ummm… Just give me two minutes," Zoë says.

Without waiting for anyone to answer, she runs to the toilet just a few steps away. And true to her word, she emerges out of it exactly two minutes later, hair combed and pulled back in a catcher and wearing a full sleeved grassland green crinkly Georgette shirt over black skinny jeans.

She must obviously have emergency outfits and stuff in there. This girl is ready for anything. We wouldn't even have seen her in her previous condition if we had announced our visit in advance or even bothered to knock at her door. _She's_ the one who'll actually like guys complimenting her and dropping to her feet every second, like two certain examples present in this room. No boy would ever resist trying to get in _her _pants. _She's _the one who always looks her very best every time, I sincerely doubt if she even _needs _to make an effort. _She _doesn't need to apply any make-up; her European mother's creamy white skin was what she had inherited. _She's _the one who doesn't normally apply a shred of eye make-up except mascara. Because she knows doesn't needto spoil her lustrous emerald green eyes by applying anything. She's intelligent enough to know they'll just make her look like an alley cat. Even though she paled in comparison to Li in the uhhh… _upper _part, she made it up plenty with her lower part, with long slender legs just waiting to be felt and rubbed. Every nerve in her body practically screamed _sex appeal_.

"Hey, I liked you better that way," I pout, acting disappointed.

"Hey," JP says, putting an arm around her territorially and bringing her closer to him, her head brushing his neck. Something I would never be able to do as easily.

"Awww…" Zoë says, extricating herself from around JP skilfully. "Here's to loving me unconditionally." With that she kisses my cheek. Both mine and JP's face turned red.

"Zoë…" JP tries to begin, but is stopped short when she threw a perfectly adorable smile his way.

I always struggle in vain to prevent the effects Zoë has on me. I, Kanbara Takuya of all people, am _not _a sucker for looks. It's this guy thing in me, no doubt. Besides, Zoë isn't even my type. She is so not the type to compromise. We would totally go nowhere, who knows better than me that she is impossible to control? She has all her picks, and I am no doubt dead bottom in her list. Heck, she is _older _than me and never lets me forget it. She's even _taller_ than me. Everyone sees me as the joyful buddy, the one who led them all back in the Digital World. They expect me to always make the right decisions, not knowing what I'm going through inside. Even _I _don't know what I'm going through inside. I just know that Zoë is _hot. Too hot _to handle. And like all hot girls, she doesn't give a damn about what others will say.

It's not like I am interested in getting in her pants. I just don't think JP deserves her. He only ever wants girls for sex. And Zoë… No matter how many boys she plays or claims to sleep with, she still has that innocent look on her which she hides. I just feel that way, because I never could and still can't stand ever seeing her hurt. I'm going to protect the little of that innocence which she has left.

That's right. I'm going to break JP and Zoë up hurting her in the least possible way and blame it all on JP. I'm going to bring all his faults in the light and make it like no one would ever know I was responsible. I have a plan.

* * *

><p><strong>Uh-oh! Why don't I like the sound of that? What is Takuya planning? Nothing short of utter disaster I hope! XD<strong>


	5. Give It!

_**Reply to reviews:**_

**_Silverly Heart: _**No, it's not just you :P

**_Ibbe: _**You have to wait and see ;D**_  
><em>**

**_Once Upon A Purple Rose:_** I can't reply you, that would be spoiling the fun! :D

**_Beautifly18:_** Yes, she has ruined the chances, and they'll be ruined further, by both of them! You'll have to wait and see ;D

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>Give it!<span>_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>8th April '08, Tuesday<em>**

"Izumi?"

Izumi looked back to see who had called her. The reason she is so early to school is not because she was excited for her first day in class. She and the others along with Shinya had decided to have breakfast together at Tomoki's house before leaving. Tommy lives in Aoyama, which is a neighbour of the Shibuya district and where their school is located. (You're going to ask, isn't it ironic that the school is located in the Shibuya district? I made it that way, as to where they all first met! And I'm definitely not the first; I've seen many fanfic writers do this!) It was a twenty to thirty minute walk from Tomoki's home to the school depending on how fast or slow you walked, and they left together, and had to practically drag Shinya away from trying to deal with Tomoki's brother Yutaka. And then after that on the way he had proceeded to get Lili to agree to go out with him.

She focused on the girl who had called her, trying to attach a name with the face. The girl had blonde hair like her, but it was a strawberry blonde, more on red. She also had green eyes like her, but they were more of sea-green. She was almost sure she knew this girl. She had a sudden flash back of a girl ten years of age pulling her hair and complaining why it wasn't a more proper colour like Izumi's.

"Ranamon of Water!" Izumi exclaims. "Myakka!"

Myakka smiles and walks towards her, hugging her books to her chest. Instinctively, Izumi started comparing every feature of Myakka's with herself. As she approached closer, Izumi saw Myakka's hair was more of red than blonde (_light ginger, _Izumi thought evilly) and more turquoise than green. Her height was an inch or two shorter, and her stature was just a little round. They were both wearing casual clothes and loose hair as it was the first day of the semester and they were yet to receive instructions about uniforms and such.

Izumi smiles secretively in satisfaction. She may have tried to compete with her, but Izumi believed she was hotter. For one thing, Myakka was bespectacled, and she was not. And her hair was that type of wavy-curly which becomes when your wet tangled hair dries without combing after you come out of the shower, with some ringlets sticking out, while hers was silky straight with every hair in place, making her look more sophisticated, looking like she had mastered the wind and prevented it from messing her hair.

Myakka also smiles, apparently in return. She had also just finished evaluating Izumi from head to toe and had concluded that she was just a dumb blonde, while she was smarter with a higher IQ because Izumi was carrying just a handbag with no extra books in hand. Her hair was just boring old straight and looked like she had run an iron through it while hers was interesting with a mermaid-ish look, looking like she had just come from a swim and somehow that hadn't messed up her hair but served to make it look cool.

"What are you doing here?" Izumi exclaims, hugging her, Myakka's books poking into her spine.

"I always studied here," she says cheerfully, pulling away. "But I studied privately last year, coz I needed to look after the house as my mother got ill. But I never saw you here before."

"I came in last year, my friend Kōji's dad knows some people in the admin."

"Really? You mean the bandanna guy? Or was it the Duskmon guy? Anyway, whatever. Aqumi's parents practically own the board. She's starting high school this year. She lives in a mansion," she confided.

A sudden shiver ran through Izumi. "By Aqumi, you mean…"

"Yep, the very same. The Wild Witch, Warrior of Hate."

She smiles nervously. Just like Kōichi as Duskmon, Aqumi used to give her the creeps.

"So does that mean the others are here too?"

"Yep! Our whole group is here, even the Lovey-Dovey Russell, the Brit Jason and the Fear Factor Joanne. Well, _almost_ all. The Know-It-All Iron Ore Mutant isn't here, but she was more into your group right?"

"Know-it-all iron ore mutant?" Izumi repeats confused.

"Oh, you know," Myakka rolls her eyes. "Our former _leader_?"

"She means me," Lili says coming up from behind Myakka. Myakka whirled around, to find a girl with long black hair shining brown in the sun in an extreme ponytail - Myakka could tell it was long because even though perched so high in her head like a date palm or coconut tree, the hair was still brushing her shoulders - pass her by and stand beside Izumi and look at her wearily.

"I was wondering where you got lost," Lili says to Izumi.

"Oh, just catching up with Myakka," Izumi says. Lili looks at her and raised her eyebrows. Myakka, however, was still a little confused about who Lili was. Lili clears it to her.

"Yes Myakka, I'm the rusty metal you were just talking about."

"_You're_ Lili, who used to be Mercuremon?" Myakka exclaims, shocked. Back when they were kids, she had believed Lili was a transsexual and just hadn't ever asked her outright about it for fear it might have offended her.

"The one and only," she says, turning to Izumi again. "I wanted to remind you to grab a table at the caf at break if you get earlier than us. No flirting with boys and no sneaking off in empty corridors or empty classrooms with JP."

Izumi shrugs. "Whatever. You know I'll study the market first before investing."

Myakka didn't understand the comment but Lili apparently did, for she groaned.

"Whatever! See you at break," she says, scampering off.

"She's still weird," Myakka says dismissively, watching her leave.

Izumi gave a nonchalant shrug. "Of course. Come on, let's get to assembly."

Reaching the crowd of assembled eleventh graders, Izumi spots Kōji, Kōichi and Takuya after being ambushed by many admirers, male and female alike. She makes their way to them. Myakka had gone to catch up with her own friends.

"This is so boring," Kōji was groaning.

"The bell hasn't even rung yet," Kōichi reminds him.

Takuya waves as he spots Izumi coming. "Zoë!" he says exaggeratedly, grabbing her. "We thought you were abducted! Or the mob got you!"

Izumi clicks her tongue, shrugging off Takuya. "Whatever. I just ran into Ranamon," she says for better understanding.

"Well, I hope you two weren't having a beauty face-off or something. Who knows how much the boys could've taken?"

"Well, I sure do hope they're not competing with your hard head," Zoë retorts.

"How would you know what you're missing?" Takuya says cheerfully. Kōji punches the back of Takuya's head.

"Ow! What did I say to _you_?"

"What did he say?" Izumi asks Kōichi curiously.

"Oh nothing. Just that he agrees he has a hard head," Kōichi lies as Kōji said something like _I can just as easily crack your nuts with my pinky _in the background.

"Well, if he agrees, it might not be _as _hard as I think."

Kōichi wasn't sure how much more he could take. "Zoë please stop," he mutters to himself. Izumi didn't hear as his words were lost in the buzz of the crowd.

The bell rang and the teachers quickly made them form proper lines. Takuya went out of his way to stand behind Izumi (we all know why). He had the perfect opportunity to stare at the back of Izumi's head without anyone looking at him weird. He was no doubt wishing he would be in the same section as her.

They were then led to stand beside their seniors, i.e. the twelfth graders, in the auditorium. JP spotted them and waved. They all waved back. Similar process was repeated with Lili when their juniors, i.e. the tenth graders, came to stand on their other side.

The headmistress cleared her throat which could be heard from the speakers. She began giving the customary beginning-of-the-year announcements.

There were to be two sections of every class, named after the two major branches of the Kojiki manuscripts, _Ise _and _Urabe_, each section containing around 20 students. Of course, many people wanted in Ise as it was known to contain the elderly and more experienced staff. Takuya, however, hoped he would be in Urabe, as the breathtakingly hot teacher wearing a mini being introduced right now for the Urabe section looked only around Tomoki's brother Yutaka's age.

The _Kamitsumaki_, or the freshmen, were sorted first. Lili, Jason who used to be Arbormon of Wood, Aqumi and Joanne were all sorted in the Ise section, meaning all four of them will be together. They were led in two separate files out of the auditorium.

Then it was their turn, the juniors, or in this school, the _Nakatsumaki_. Takuya crossed his fingers as the names started being called out.

"Fujimoto Myakka, Urabe."

"Fischer Joseph, Urabe."

"Hamada Gorou, Urabe."

"Hiroshima Chinatsu, Ise."

"Ishikawa Osamu, Ise."

"Iwate, Aiko, Ise."

"Kanbara Takuya, Ise." _Damn, _Takuya thought. _Ah well. _Now Takuya's fingers were crossed for his friends to be in the same section.

"Kimura Kōichi, Ise."

"Yes!" Takuya says, slapping Kōichi a hi-five. They had to wait only a few seconds more for Kōji and Izumi to join them.

"Lynch Maya, Urabe."

"Matsumoto Nori, Urabe."

"Minamoto Kōji, Urabe." _Oh shit_, Kōji thought, throwing his customary sour look and stamping his foot as everyone looked behind sympathetically. _As if it wasn't already so boring._

Even though Takuya felt sympathetic for Kōji being alone, he was still selfish enough to wish for Izumi to be in his section. _Please let Zoë be in Ise, _he prayed.

"Musa Rehman, Ise."

_Please let Zoë also be in Ise._

"Narita Momo, Urabe."

_Please let Zoë be in Ise and not Urabe._

"Nishimura Ayumu, Ise."

_Please let Zoë be with me and Kōichi._

"Ojima Kiku, Urabe."

_Please let Zoë be with ME._

"Okayama Momo, Urabe."

_Please let Orimoto Izumi be in Ise._

"Orimoto Izumi, Urabe."

"FUCK!" Takuya yells out loud accidently. People around him who heard looked at him and snickered. Kōji however clenched his fist and mouth like you do when you say, _Yes!_

Izumi looked at Takuya and Kōichi sympathetically and slapped a hi-five with Kōji. Myakka also waves at her from where she was standing. Takuya drops down on his knees with his head down and back towards the others anime-depressed-style with purplish black fumes surrounding him.

None of them bothered listening to the rest of the names. They began chatting animatedly (except Takuya who was still depressed) and when the sorting was finally done, they were led in two separate lines to their own sections.

Takuya looked back at the _Shimotsumaki, _the seniors, for Junpei. They were the only ones left in the also spotted two other boys he knew. The tall, lanky figure of Zack with his dishwasher blonde hair very contrary to the short ruffian digimon he used to be (and also whom Takuya had seen dealing with Shinya) and Russell with his dark hair covered with white blond highlights. Half his hair was standing up like he had used a full can of hair cement. The other half lay firmly in place making room for him to barely see. (And no he's not gay, in case you're wondering coz of the "Love" thing).

Takuya tries to see if Junpei was as usual flirting with the girls but Kōichi dragged Takuya away with him to class as he had started to block the rest of the line.

* * *

><p>Kōji, Izumi and Myakka sat together by the window, so that it would be easy to stare out when things got too boring. Their class teacher came in, an angry looking middle-aged man with pre mature wrinkles. He set down his books and started to look at them all angrily in turn, memorising their faces, as if he had come to a police station to recognise a criminal who had done him wrong from the long line of criminals gathered there. The wooden ruler he had brought with him was clutched in his hand threateningly and he introduced himself his as Meiji-sensei. He started to lay out the rules like they were enrolling in the army. In the middle of his speech, he stopped as his eyes rested on Kōji. He walked towards him and snapped his ruler at his desk, causing Kōji to jump.<p>

"So you think you look so smart punk?" he growls.

"Ummm…" Kōji says, not understanding what to say.

"What are those scraps of metal in your ears?"

"Earrings?"

"And the fangs in your hands?" he says tapping them with his ruler.

"Uhhh… Spiked bracelets and brass knuckles?"

"NOT ALLOWED!" he yells. "NO SOURCE OF WEAPONS ALLOWED IN THIS SCHOOL! Or this country by the way! Take them off. NOW!"

Grumbling, Kōji takes them all off.

"This as well!" he says, yanking Kōji's bandanna off and throwing it at his desk. Unfortunately, with the removal of the bandanna, the teacher was able to see the length of Kōji's hair.

"Long hair is not allowed on boys! If I don't see them cut tomorrow, I'll shave them off! That goes for all of the girls as well." He whirls around to face the rest of the class. "If your hair is not properly tied by tomorrow, same goes for all of you!"

Izumi hurriedly tied her hair in a bun using her pencil in two seconds flat and Myakka took the idea and did the same. Our Kōji, of course, isn't that much of a fan of listening to others and he honestly does try his best to listen to elders, but let's face it, there's the limit. Especially when it comes to his hair.

"I'm not cutting my hair," Kōji says softly, his voice just a little menacing.

"Did you just talk back to me?" Meiji-sensei demanded.

"I said, I'm not cutting my hair," Kōji says loudly.

Izumi tries to nudge him quiet as Meiji-sensei's face started blowing, but she couldn't do that with the teacher looking at him.

"Fine, don't. The barber will do it, or I will."

"I'm not going to let any of you touch my hair." Kōji says.

"Oh we'll see! Are you trying to challenge me punk?"

"Maybe I am," Kōji retorts.

"Detention!" he yells. "How dare you try to challenge or question me? I don't want to see your face. Now get out of my class!"

Kōji gets up grabbing his bag and leaves. He was already calling his father half-way out. Hmmm… Trying to use your sources up to full potential huh Kōji?

* * *

><p>"So let me get this straight," Tomoki says to Kōji after Izumi had in multiple fits of laughter recalled the incident to the others, opening Takuya's chopsticks to taste Takuya's ramen. "You got detention on first period of the first day of school?"<p>

"Must be a new record. The last record was in break time of the first day last year right?" Lili says.

"You should totally aim for detention at assembly next year," Takuya advises him.

Kōichi shakes his head at his idiot brother. "My teacher requested me to take off my chains as well, but I didn't have him by the throat."

"Really? Are your chains and bracelets sources of weapons as well?" Kōji asks.

"Ummm… No. They were just making too much noise clanking on the desk and disturbing the class," Kōichi says, trying to hide a smile.

"Why did I have to get such a tight assed class teacher?" Kōji groans.

"Ummm… He's actually quite good in teaching Kōji," Izumi tells him. "You just weren't there. Do you want to copy my notes?"

"Who cares? I'm living with Kōichi," Kōji says relaxing. Everyone knew he took unfair advantage of his brother and his good grades were all a farce coz he just copied everything off of Kōichi and just changed a few words and cut some sentences.

"True that," Junpei says.

"You're a lazy ass," Izumi scolds him.

"As long as my homework gets done," Kōji replies.

"Don't you say anything?" Izumi asks Kōichi.

Kōichi grimaces. "Not if I want to find my bed filled with dirt and creepy crawlies."

"You're an asshole," Izumi scolds Kōji.

"I can neither agree nor disagree to this," Kōji says smiling.

"So are you really going to cut your hair?" Tomoki asks.

Kōji scoffs. "Hell no!"

"But then how do you expect to get away with long hair every day?" JP asked.

"I talked to my father," he shrugs. "He'll talk to the admin."

"Ummm… Kōji? You should really try not to alienate every teacher in the school," Kōichi says.

"So you're saying I should have my hair cut?" Kōji demands.

"Well… Just to avoid trouble."

"God Kōichi, how dare you mutter such an offense?" Lili asks.

"Looks like Kōichi's looking forward to another night spent sleeping with icky bugs." Junpei grins.

Kōichi shivered violently. Takuya pats him on the back.

"Have you not learned to watch your mouth yet?" Takuya whispered to him.

"I'm carrying Shinya's extra bottle of anti-septic in my bag in case his own gets caught. Do you want to use it, for your mouth?" Tommy says.

"Why does Shinya even carry an antiseptic?" Izumi asks Takuya.

"Ummm… No doubt to sterilize his needles."

"Oh mother of Jesus! Don't _you _say anything?"

Now it was Takuya's turn to grimace. "Not if I want to find my energy drinks spiked with numerous potions."

"Thank God I'm an only child," Izumi mutters.

"And thank god my brother is past all this sibling rivalry shit," Tomoki says.

"Konnichiwa, mina-san (Hello everyone!)," Myakka called, approaching them.

Everyone looked up to see her standing there with a sulking girl with polished dark hair longer than Lili's.

"Konnichiwa (hello)," everyone chorused.

"Careful, don't let Meiji-sensei catch you talking in Japanese," Izumi laughs.

"Like Kōji-kun would say, shiromun ka (who cares)," Myakka says, shrugging. Kōji nods in agreement.

"So you are the beauty of the deep right?" Junpei says using his talking-to-a-cute-girl voice.

Myakka raised her eyebrows. "Yes. And you're the cockroach right?"

"A beetle!" Junpei says irritated, losing his talking-to-a-cute-girl voice.

The dark haired girl took no interest in the conversation, preferring to look intently at the twins, as if trying to remember which one was which. Kōichi noticed this and squirmed nervously.

"And you are…?" he asks the girl.

Everyone's attention went to her, but the girl didn't look bothered in the slightest and still continued in her scrutiny. She raised an eyebrow over her rust and copper shaded eyes, as if he knew the answer and was pretending to act dumb.

"Your old _friend,_" she told him, looking back at Kōji, who froze under her gaze.

Kōichi was like "?"

"Were you or were you not once Duskmon?" she says impatiently.

"Ummm…"

Her eyes lingered once again on Kōji.

"I'm Aqumi," she told him. "Remember me?"

"Uhhh… Yeah, of course I do," Kōji fidgets.

"We all do," Takuya says, smiling at her kindly.

In the past, Takuya had been the one who had been able to best relate to the girl because of their similar fiery traits. She hadn't listened to anyone except him and Kōji, who had been kind to her and didn't treat her like a freak. Back then.

* * *

><p><em><span>Recap<span>__  
>Episode 43 -<em>

_After Aqumi as the SkullSatamon brothers was defeated, she lay in a tangled heap on the ground. Everyone had been hesitant enough to approach her and no one had made a move. But just then, LoadKnightmon (pronounced as RhodoKnightmon and is Crusadermon in the English version) made his move. He had been observing the battle and took the chance of everyone's diversion to snatch up the data of the Flame Terminal. Takuya as KaiserGreymon moved to save all the Digimon, while Kōji_ _as MagnaGarurumon saved all the others and their partners. Aqumi knew this was the end. But just as the data had started to vanish beneath her, Kōji had leaped up and saved her. _

_She was clutched right beside Russell, who she had last seen back in the human world. They were distant cousins, and they had boarded the same Trailmon, but somehow had ended up in separate ways due to their decisions. She had understood Cherubimon's hatred and desire for revenge, while Russell had sympathised with Ophanimon, choosing to be her servant. After Cherubimon had been defeated, she had been too ashamed to give up, and had continued to serve a new master, Lucemon. Lucemon had sympathised with her and made her promises too good to be true, and she had been loyal to her master till the very end. Destruction and carnage had never bothered her, not because she was strong willed, but she was weak hearted._

_No one knew for sure if she ever really became their ally. Takuya had tried many times to talk to her, but had been unable to completely get through to her completely. They had found out from her words filled with hidden meaning and also from Russell that Aqumi was a child who had grown up not knowing her parents. They were business tycoons and travelled all over the world and were almost never home. She had grown up surrounded by live-in house staff; servants and chaperones, maids and babysitters, housekeepers and butlers. She lived in a house as big as a castle with everything at her disposal. Her parents thought they were making up for their absence by giving her everything she wanted. She was growing up like a princess, yet she hated every second of it. She had once tried to tell her parents that she was lonely, but they had just scoffed. It wasn't like she lived alone. Her parents had always told her to keep a distance from everyone else as they were all only interested in her money but she had wanted friends. She had insisted to try school, but people had been intimidated by the wealth of her family and never approached her, or just bullied her out of her money and tricked her. So she had then been home schooled, her mind filled with the information that every outsider wanted to hurt her. Her deepest desire was love, the only gift her parents couldn't give her and what she was aching for the most._

_Kōji had understood and sympathised with her. As if he hadn't been kind enough to save her life, he had then further taken the pains to get to know her better. His life had been the same, though in a different way. He had told her stories of his own life, about how his father being in the diplomatic corps, he also kept travelling and changing schools ever so often, and Aqumi found out she wasn't the only one out there who had it bad. He tried to tell her the value of friends, but she had just shaken her head, mystified. She didn't understand why Kōji and Takuya were both fools telling her she was needed and she could become their friend._

_The only time her trust wavered for Lucemon was when the Royal Knights had stopped even acknowledging her presence. And then when Lucemon had taken the Royal Knights' data for himself, destroying their dreams to go to human world, she knew for certain then he only cared for his own power. That was when she had lost trust in him completely, knowing he had never given a damn for her dreams as well. She had then gone along with the gang to ensure Lucemon's defeat and wished their side to win._

* * *

><p>That was then and this is now. That was all a thing of the past now and hopefully forgotten. Now she wanted to repay the kindness Takuya and Kōji had shown her back then. She will never forget that she owed Kōji her life.<p>

But she did have a tendency to weird people out.

Like right now.

She looked at Takuya, and he saw the old fire still in her. He wondered what it meant.

Suddenly, a halogen bulb lit up in Takuya's head. _This is perfect!_

"Hey, Aqumi, I was wondering if I could ask you something," he says getting up.

Everyone looked at him in surprise. He shrugs, and moves a little afar from the group, Aqumi following him.

"Sooo…. How are you?"

Aqumi raised an eyebrow. "Cut the crap Takuya. And tell me what you want."

"Oh ok. Actually, I was wondering if I could ask you a favour."

She nods. "Of course. And what do I get out of it?"

"Ummm… what?"

"You don't really think I will just about do anything which doesn't benefit me in some way?"

"Sure you get something out of it! You get… Moral achievement!"

"Oh wow. I've so been wanting that my whole life," she says.

"You know you do," Takuya teases.

"I'll tell you what I want," she says shortly.

Takuya mentally braces himself for something requiring breaking and entering. "Ok, go on."

"You tell me what you want first."

"What are you, a five year old? Decide something!"

She looks at him coldly. Takuya immediately retraces his steps.

"I mean, sure sure, of course. Listen the thing is…" he pretends to hesitate. Aqumi leans closer.

"Yes?"

"Well, the thing is… Zoë, the one with the blonde hair who used to be…"

"I know who Zoë is," Aqumi interrupts.

"Yeah, well, the thing is… She's very lonely and depressed. She doesn't say it at all but I know she is."

They both look back at the table. Izumi was laughing and shoving a Junpei who was making weird smooching noises while the others around them either rooted or hooted. They couldn't hear the smooching noises from where they were but they understood what he was doing.

"She looks perfectly happy and as un-lonely as possible to me," Aqumi says mildly.

"You see the problem. She acts that way so well! It's hard for me to even attempt to cheer her up, because she keeps saying she's perfectly fine!"

"So? Why are you even butting in? It's her business anyway."

"Well, you know how I can't stand seeing any of my friends unhappy. I could never see you unhappy as well remember? And you know so well how loneliness is such a curse, especially if you're not even confiding to your closest ones."

Aqumi thought of this for a moment. "So what do you want me to do?"

"Well, I want you to convince her that she doesn't need anyone to be happy. She can keep her secrets to herself, its fine, it's her life. But I saw that from you, you know that you can be perfectly happy by yourself. She doesn't have to rely on anyone."

"But didn't you just say she's not telling anyone what's bothering her?"

"You hit the nail right on the head. She seems to think that JP, you know the cocka– I mean the beetle? She thinks he's some sort of all that. She thinks she needs to make him happy so she can be happy herself. She thinks she _needs_ him."

"That fat crazy guy?" Aqumi says in disbelief.

"Yes! So you see the problem? I tried to explain to her that he'll just end up taking advantage of her weaknesses and he's just using her for himself to show around and what not and..."

"What?" Aqumi says angrily. She looks back at the table again. Now Izumi was laughingly holding a brownie to Junpei's mouth while he took bites from it.

"So you think you can manage it? Convincing her I mean."

She looked at the table for a while quite angrily. Then she looks back at Takuya and nods.

"Sure Takuya, I'll try my best."

"That's great! I knew I could count on you! And if you run into any problems and get confused about anything, just tell me. You don't have to do the labour work like keeping tabs on her and stuff. You can just ask me to do that part, and…"

"You think I'm incapable of spying Takuya?"

"No no no! Anything but that. Please, I know how well you cover yourself. I just meant I'll be helping you as much as possible on your way if you like."

"Thanks, but I don't need your help Takuya. I can manage fine on my own."

_This is going a whole lot better than I expected! _Takuya mentally laughed, not believing his luck.

"Sure you can. Anyway, I'll owe you Aqumi."

"Sure you will," Aqumi says.

"Oh yeah… So what do you want in return?"

"Oh, I just want you to include me into your group stuff without causing any suspicion that I asked you to," Aqumi says, without breaking stride.

"Ummm… Why?"

"Don't ask questions," Aqumi snapped. "And just so it doesn't look suspicious, you can add the others as well," she adds as an afterthought.

Takuya still couldn't believe his luck. Knowing Aqumi, he had been expecting far worse, like finding the perfect way of disposing a corpse or something.

"Sure," he says nonchalantly. "I'll do it."

"Good. Now let's head back," she turns and begins to walk away.

"You're not the boss of me," Takuya mutters under his breath, though he didn't dare say it out loud.

They make their way back. Takuya carefully observed Junpei and Izumi and surprise of surprises, takes out a notebook and began scribbling on it furiously, appearing to be taking notes about something. Yup, this is our Takuya only I'm talking about. When break was about to be over in a few minutes, Tomoki finally noticed that Takuya wasn't taking part in the conversation. And that was because Tomoki had eaten all of Takuya's ramen and apple without any protest from his side. Jee, anyone miss him much? XD

"What are you writing?" Tomoki asks, leaning in and trying to peak.

Takuya hid it by his hands and turned away from him… only for Kōji to snatch it from that side.

"What's this?" Kōji says innocently, while Takuya tried to wrestle it away from him.

Everyone looked up interestingly.

Lili flinched, and kicked her bag further under the table. She didn't understand how boys could be so insensitive like that. If someone ever read her diary out loud, she'd die.

"_Girls_," Kōji reads out loud, keeping Takuya at bay by pushing his face away by his left hand while he held the book up from his right hand away from Takuya's grasp.

"Giveitback!" Takuya yelled.

_"I don't get why girls even know I exist is because I play football. Why can't they like me for who I am? Is it because I'm short? That's certainly what Zoë thinks so."_

Kōji stops here to look around if he had everyone's attention. Takuya's face was a pumpkin red while everyone else laughed.

"_So now about Zoë. Where to begin?_ Seriously Takuya the perfect place to begin is learning how to spell correctly. _The first thing will be to…"_

Kōji was forced to break off as Takuya tackled him, knocking him off with his chair and wrestled him on the ground. They were sprawling like pigs on mud and weren't looking at all… appropriate. Kids gathered around like fleas on a cat and took pictures from their cell phones.

Random guy: Jeez, get a room or go to the bathroom you both.

Random girl: (confiding to another girl standing next to her) I have always thought Kanbara-san and Minamoto-san had a thing going on for each other.

"Eeeeewwww!" other girls around the girl who heard said.

"Giveit giveit giveit!" Takuya was yelling trying to reach the paper Kōji had torn off the book and who was still managing to hold it away from him.

"Stop raping me Takuya!" Kōji yelled back.

"Give it!" everyone started yelling. "Give it! Give it! Give it! Give it!"

I'm pretty sure they didn't mean the paper.

"Ummm… Aren't you guys going to be doing something?" Lili asked Kōichi, Junpei and Tomoki.

Junpei: Heck no! This is way more fun! Give it give it give it!" (he begins cheering with the others).

Takuya: (groaning) Aaargghhh!

Kōji: (yelling) holy mothafckaaaa!

Audience: Oooohhh…. Aaaaahhhh….

Kōichi: Ok guys, enough now.

Takuya and Kōji: Aaaaahhh!

Kōichi: This is much worse than I thought. JP grab Kōji please.

Junpei: Give it give it!

Tomoki: I'm not sure he heard you Kōichi.

Myakka and Izumi: Give it!

Aqumi: What are you girls think you're _doing?_

Lili: Phhssh. Come with me.

They went together and finally succeeded in separating the two dogs (no pun intended). Aqumi, Lili and Kōichi together held Kōji and Tomoki held Takuya. [Audience: (dispersing) Awww…] Aqumi snatches the paper out of Kōji's hand crumpling it, and while everyone looked, ate it.

Aqumi: There. Let's see you going for round II now.

Jason: Did you just eat the paper Aqumi?

Aqumi: Where did you come from?

Jason: The bell rang in case you guys didn't hear it.

Lili: Hey, it's Jackson!

Jason: (growls) my name is JASON!

Lili: I knew that.

Jason: No you didn't!

Lili: Sure I did.

Jason: Why don't you EVER bother getting my name right?

Lili: Haha you speak like you are in pain (meaning his accent)

Izumi laughs. He turns to Izumi, who was looking at him with interest.

"What are you looking at munter?" he growls at her.

Izumi turns to Aqumi and Myakka. "What's his problem?"

Aqumi shrugs. "Nothing new."

Myakka adds, "He's always been like that."

Aqumi says, "He hates girls."

"More so after his Dolly broke up with him," Myakka puts in.

"Oh really? How?" Izumi asks, interested.

"He caught her with another guy," Aqumi says. "It wasn't pretty."

"The guy so is," Myakka says. "Much better than poor Jackson- I mean Jason."

Izumi looks at Jason, with his brown hair and green eyes. So like his element of nature.

"What's wrong with Jason?" Izumi asks, eyeing him.

"Nothing at all. All except he's no Russell."

"She was cheating on him with _Russell_?"

"What do girls see in lifeguards?" Junpei, who was eavesdropping, said. Everyone knew that's what Russell had been during his Boy Scout training.

Aqumi eyes Junpei from head to toe exaggeratedly. "What do you see in _him _Izumi?" she says maliciously.

"Nothing I haven't seen in others," Izumi admits.

"Whaaaat?" Junpei cries. "Ok fine, I'm not butting in your girly talks anymore."

He walks away to his class, calling Zack and Russell who were a little afar and catching up with them. Lili and Jason had too, arguing all the way and Joanne following them a little ways behind.

"Why does he think I'm so ugly? No guy hates me on my looks no matter what," Izumi says angrily.

"Oh, is that what munter means?" Myakka says happily.

"He uses that word for girls around us all the time. We never knew before what it meant," Aqumi explains.

"You must be really unattractive Izumi," Myakka says cheerfully.

"He's called you that as well," Aqumi reminds her, bursting her bubble right there.

"No one ever calls me unattractive!" Myakka and Izumi say together, stamping their foot.

Aqumi goes, "Yeahhhh…."

"Aren't we like, totally late to class?" Kōji says from behind them, totally surprising them all.

"How long have you been there?" Izumi demanded to know.

"Since Kōichi dragged Takuya away to class. Please, I have no interest in your girly talks. I have been waiting for you to get done with your nonsense so we can go back to class together or else I know you won't let me cheat off your paper in the test."

"When do we have a test?" Myakka asks, worried.

Kōji shrugs. "That's not the point."

"So you already know you won't be studying?"

"Mia," Izumi explains patiently. "Kōji never studies."

"Oh."

"I thought Takuya was the one who never studied," Aqumi says.

"They're the same," Izumi tells them.

"Why am I not surprised?" Myakka says.

"Come on already," Kōji says impatiently. "I don't want to run into that Meiji jerk."

"Why are you so depressed Izumi?" Aqumi says suddenly.

"What?" Izumi laughs.

"You heard me."

"Are you OK Aqumi? I'm perfectly fine."

"Sure you are," Aqumi says. Then she whispers in her ear, "You can tell me."

"But I told you I'm fine."

"You know, you don't need anyone to make you happy. You don't have to pretend."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… You know how JP is?"

"Sure I do. But I'm not serious with him or anything. I go with the flow. I'm just having some fun."

"So you think you need JP to have fun?"

Aqumi was seriously weirding her out, like usual.

"I don't know. But for now I'm having I guess."

"Who else do you think you need to have fun?"

Izumi thought. The first person who comes to her mind is Takuya. He's always doing something stupid or the other which makes her laugh both with him and at him. He's always coming up with fun things for her to do, like pouring sand into Kōji's bandanna so that when he wears it, it falls all over his hair and face and then watching as he tries to wash it off from their water bottle, only they had had it filled with more mud which he can't see because he has sand in his eyes. Then hearing Kōji swearing colourfully and demanding to know who did this, but nobody answers him as they are all laughing so hard.

"I need all my friends," she says smiling sweetly. "Now come on, let's go to our classes. We're already late."


	6. Lustful Desires

_**Reply to reviews:**_

_**Silverly Heart:**_ Yup. I like everyone thought that there was a limitation of girls in the show. And that's so not cool! (And Harry Potter TOTALLY rocks! One of my all time favourite series!)

**_Once Upon A Purple Rose:_** It was long? Hahahaha! I actually split the previous chapter in two parts! This chapter below was originally supposed to be a part of the previous chapter! How ironic you mentioned it XD

**_Beautifly18:_ **Takuya's just getting started! ;D

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>Lustful Desires<span>_**

* * *

><p><em><strong>9th April '08, Wednesday<br>**_

_%H0tstUfF% says: _

- Heyy!

_*G!rlOfSt3el* says: _

- Aw man. What do you want Takuya?

_%H0tstUfF% says:_

- Need ur help!

_*G!rlOfSt3el* says:_

- You couldn't've mentioned it at school today?  
>- Now I have to listen to you when I'm home also?<p>

_%H0tstUfF% says: _

- Yes u do. Now tell me  
>- Wht do gurls h8 d most abt guys?<p>

_*G!rlOfSt3el* says: _

- Correction Takuya.  
>- You're supposed to ask me what do girls <em>like <em>the most about guys.

_%H0tstUfF% says: _

- Jus answr me wht I askd u

_*G!rlOfSt3el* says: _

- Is that how you're supposed to talk to the person you're supposedly asking for help?

_%H0tstUfF% says: _

- R U GONNA HELP ME OR NOT?

_*G!rlOfSt3el* says: _

- Well, I guess I should be glad that a guy is showing interests in what girls hate and not pigging only about themselves for once. You're different than I thought you were Takuya. I'm proud of you. There aren't many guys out there who actually take the time to think what they're doing is appropriate or not or what the girl with them is thinking about their _harkat_ (habits).

_%H0tstUfF% says: _

- Yeaaahhh… I dun want u lecturin me abt ur principls or whteva. I cant care less seriously.  
>- Jus tell me wht is d thng a gurl h8s d most abt a guy besides his existance like you do?<p>

_*G!rlOfSt3el* says: _

- There are a lot of things actually.  
>- Like this certain guy being really rude to this girl who's just trying to help!<p>

_%H0tstUfF% says: _

- Oh sw8 Buddha Li jus tell me!

_*G!rlOfSt3el* says: _

- Hmmm… Ok… You wanna know about stuff in relationships or in general?

_%H0tstUfF% says: _

- Boyfrnd-girlfrnd

_*G!rlOfSt3el* says: _

- Well, ummm…  
>- We hate it when guys hide stuff from us. It seriously pisses us off.<br>- But I guess that the _absolute_ _worst _thing about a guy is when he:-  
>i: lives<br>ii: breathes  
>iii: walks<br>iv: talks  
>sex.<p>

_%H0tstUfF% says: _

- U serious?

_*G!rlOfSt3el* says: _

- Absolutely. Like we don't want to be pressured you know? And it feels like the guy is only with us is coz we're a walking sex doll or something.  
>- We want to be noticed by them for who we are, not because he's wondering how we are in bed.<p>

_%H0tstUfF% says: _

- I dun get it. Gimme an exmple.

_*G!rlOfSt3el* says: _

- Ok… Take JP and Zoë for example. JP is a guy who loves sex more than his love for chocolates. And seriously, it's beyond me how has he has been able to go for so long without it. He must be taking a lot of cold showers.  
>- Anw, Zoë is actually happy about it, because you see, for once he is thinking stuff other than sex for once. Like about her and what she wants and all that shit.<br>- Got it?

_%H0tstUfF% says: _

- Couldn hav askd 4 a betta example. Thnx a ton!

_*G!rlOfSt3el* says: _

- May I know the name of the unlucky girl? ;)

_%H0tstUfF% says: _

- Dream on Li :(

_*G!rlOfSt3el* says: _

- Awww… Best of luck!

Takuya drums his fingers on the desk. He knew what to do now. The mission he had given Aqumi was long term, and Takuya was never the patient type of person and he didn't think he could really wait. The sight of Junpei and Izumi together just made him nauseated. He went to put his new plan to action. He suddenly saw someone who was online and who could help.

_%H0tstUfF% says:_

- Heyy!

_$u|-f3R dUd3 says:_

- Sup Takuya?

_%H0tstUfF% says:_

- Howx it goin wiv Delilah?

_$u|-f3R dUd3 says:_

- Swell! Jus hope dont get caught by her brothers again. Ouch!

_%H0tstUfF% says:_

- Jason still pissed?

_$u|-f3R dUd3 says:_

- Since when he's not pissed?

_%H0tstUfF% says:_

- True  
>- Need a favour dude (hey tht rhymd!)<p>

_$u|-f3R dUd3 says:_

- Ask away buddy  
>- (no it didnt rhyme)<p>

_%H0tstUfF% says:_

- (who cares)  
>- Need a box of condoms!<p>

_$u|-f3R dUd3 says:_

- Really? Who're u Doing?

_%H0tstUfF% says:_

- No 1 as of yet. Need it 4 screwing JP's chances with Zoë instead

_$u|-f3R dUd3 says:_

- How'll u do dat?  
>- Isn't that providing ammunition instead?<p>

_%H0tstUfF% says:_

- At caf tomoro. Watch the show! ;D

_$u|-f3R dUd3 says:_

- Really? Cant wait then :-P

* * *

><p><strong><em>10th April '08, Thursday<em>**

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>Corridor in K.I.L.L.S:<span>  
><em>**

"I'm not sure this will work Takuya," Russell says.

"Sure it will. Once Zoë sees the box of condoms in his bag, and we all know he keeps that one for "emergencies" in his wallet, she'll think that he's going around screwing so many girls that he just have to keep so much back-up. Or, she'll think that he's such a sex freak that that's all he thinks about and he can't wait to lay her. This will give Zoë the idea that he's just waiting for the chance to Do her so he can get rid of her soon. Girls hate that above all else right?"

"Some girls I've dated only even dated me for some good fuck. My rep preceded me they said. Next day they were like, who the hell are you? Seriously. And from what I've heard about Zoë is that she's no cock tease."

"Whatever. I've heard from sources that she's very secure in these matters," Takuya says confidently.

"Well, that's your stuff I guess. If you want her why don't you just tell her?"

"Hey hey hey! I know you're supposedly the Love expert but I _don't _want her OK? I just want that JP doesn't have her. We know how he is and I don't want him to use Zoë like that."

"And why don't you want him to use Zoë like that?"

"Coz… coz… She's my best friend!" Takuya stammers.

"So's JP," Russell reminds him.

"Look whatever! Don't fuckin lecture me alright? I'll do what I want."

"Sure you will. And how is it you're planning on exposing him?"

"Yes," Takuya says satisfied to finally get back on the topic. "That's where you come in. You have to put the box in his bag during your class just before break so he doesn't have a chance to find it out. He never looks at his bag twice when the lunch bell rings."

"Aw come on! Why do I even have to help you?"

"Coz I'm giving you and Delilah a place this weekend remember?"

"Aw man!"

The bell rang just then. Takuya thumps Russell on his back.

"Go for it Tiger!"

"Fuck you Takuya."

Takuya winks before he turns to run off to his class, skipping assembly as usual.

* * *

><p><em><strong><span>Shimotsumaki (12th graders), Urabe section:<span>**_

Russell sat in his class, clicking and unclicking his pen. He had yet to put the box of condoms in JP's bag and the bell would ring within five minutes. _Things I do for love_, he mutters to himself, sounding like Courage the Cowardly Dog.

Delilah Beacon is three to four years younger than him, and she is Tomoki's and Shinya's classmate. He had met her hanging around with her best friend Charlotte in summer camp where he was counsellor in Manhattan a year ago. She had laughingly and coldly brushed off his advances. What Russell hadn't realised at the time was that she was the same Delilah his best friend Jason was dating, who was staying at Russell's home at the time only for the sole reason of visiting his long-distanced girlfriend. How was he to know it was her? For Russell, it was love at first sight. And Jason had never called her Delilah in front of them; he only ever referred to her as Dolly.

Jason had requested Aqumi to pull some strings and let "Dolly" get in the scholarship list at K.I.L.L.S so that they could be together in Tokyo. And then when a month ago he saw her again arm in arm with Jason, he didn't get depressed. As a Warrior of Love, he believed in Destiny and he believed it was Fate which had brought them together again.

And if Delilah had ever loved Jason as deeply as Jason had loved her, she would never have finally accepted his proposal, he believed. He didn't believe in keeping his feelings bottled up inside him, and because of that, he had Delilah, even if he had alienated Jason in the process. But Jason would get over it. Russell just couldn't let it pass up. Delilah had brought out feelings in him which he had last felt back in the Digital World when he was Ophanimon's servant and trusted protégé. The feeling when he had first transformed into a Warrior of Love. He had had girlfriends before, but Delilah was different since the first moment he laid eyes on her. She was his One. He had even been beaten by Delilah's brothers two times, but he still couldn't imagine a life without her and wouldn't leave her. He had tried to explain this to Jason but he had just snarled.

And he had tried explaining to Takuya in the morning time that he _shouldn't _keep his feelings bottled up. He should tell her, he'd be surprised at how things turn out when you open your mouth for once. He'd feel the relief of getting his feelings out in the open. But he thought he was just having lustful desires and not the real thing. Russell believed that Takuya was suffering a severe case of living-in-denial-itis.

Two minutes for the bell to ring. Russell pretended to be putting his things back in the bag in preparation for lunch period, but it was an excuse to eye JP's bag. JP was sitting right beside him with his mouth wide open and rubbing his stomach. His fingers began itching towards the bag… But he was interrupted by the shrill noise of the wall clock type bell ringing two minutes earlier.

In the ruckus of the lunch time and Russell's head still being bent, he was hit numerous times as students rushed out of the class in happiness. Amidst them was JP, who screamed, "Lunch!" and ran out with the crowd, leaving all his books out on his desk and bag discarded besides his chair. He stopped by the door to look back, but was unable to stop his legs, which continued with their jogging motion like he was doing a cardio exercise.

"Zack, get my bag, I'll get yours tomorrow I swear!" he calls out. And not being able to stand still jogging for another second rushed out again.

"That's what you said yesterday!" Zack yells, shaking his fist but JP was already gone.

"That fat asshole," Zack mutters.

He suddenly spots Russell looking at the scene, bemused.

"Get JP's bag," he says, before vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Standing alone in the classroom which had taken no longer than ten seconds to completely empty, Russell wondered why the fuck he had even bothered wasted precious neurons thinking this would be hard.

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>K.I.L.L.S cafeteria:<span>_**

"Samosas for Li and ramen for Takuya, kebab roll for Kōji, sandwich for Kōichi, fries for Tommy brownies for me and chow mein for my sweet sweety lovely lickin' Zoe-yums!" JP says, putting down the tray and kissing Zoë.

"Eww! Yuck! Pthewy" Lili cries. "Tommy, give me your hat."

"No way hozay!" Tomoki says, pulling down his hat over his ears to avoid it getting pulled off or snatched.

Takuya sizzled in his chair. He got up and sat beside Junpei so that it'll be easier for him to put his plan into action. _Have fun while you can, it won't last!_

While he tried hard to ignore, Junpei and Izumi started eating the chow mein Lady and the Tramp style.

_Where the hell is that damn Russell? _Takuya thought. _More importantly, where is JP's bag?_

As if in answer, Russell comes and knocks Junpei on his head with his bag.

"Here's your bag dum-dum! You are _so _picking mine tomorrow. How the hell do you expect me to be able to squeeze into _that_ line?" Russell whines, pointing at the huge mass of students surrounding something invisible from their vantage point.

"Sit and eat with us," Junpei invited.

"Oh, don't mind if I do," he says, looking meaningfully at Takuya, trying to hide a grin. As soon as he sat down, he took out his cell phone from his pocket and began texting.

Izumi tries to peek. "Who're you texting?"

"Delilah," he says. "Telling her I'll be a bit late."

"Oh," Izumi mutters tastelessly, not having forgotten what Myakka and Aqumi had told her about them yesterday and feeling sorry for Jason. "You really like her don't you?"

"She's my life," he says unashamedly, his face breaking into a huge grin just by the mere thought of her.

"Does she know that?"

"Of course," he says, looking at her like she was a bit slow. "I tell her that almost every day."

"But," Izumi tries to reason, "You've only been dating…" she does a quick head count. "Two weeks."

"Actually, it's been eleven days. And besides, you shouldn't call this dating. You should say we've been together for this or any length of time. Dating is for people who're immature to commit or settle."

"What do you mean?" Izumi says impatiently, not liking being called immature.

"It means, I already know she'll be the mother of my children," he says smiling at her.

"But," Izumi says, unable to control her tone now being really impatient. "You can't know that yet. You've only been dating eleven days!"

"First of all, I've already told you it's not "dating". Secondly, why can't I know that? I love her, she loves me. The world can't come between us. I want to see it try to."

Izumi opens her mouth to argue further, but Junpei grabs her hand.

"Forget it," he tells her, trying to make a joke out of it. "You cannot argue about such kinds of things with a Warrior of Love."

"But what about poor Jason?" she says venomously. "What about what you did to your _best friend?_"

He runs a hand through his hair. "I don't know," he says softly. "I'm still trying to make it up to him."

"And will he ever get over this, his best friend breaking him and his girl-friend up, who were strong enough to survive long distance by the way? Answer truthfully Russell, from what you know of him."

Russell looks at her for around ten seconds in the uncomfortable silence surrounding them.

"No," he says softly. "I don't think so."

"So there," Izumi says triumphantly. "So what you did is not..."

"But that doesn't mean I won't keep on trying," he interrupt her.

"_But your best friend's girlfriend or ex-girlfriend is supposed to be off-limits to you!_" Izumi shrieks. "As long as you are with her, you can forget it!"

"No," he says, shaking her head. "I won't. I'll do something. Delilah is a part of my life. And so is Jason. I'll do something. I know I can. And I'll keep on trying no matter what. I won't let either of them go so easily."

Takuya was getting really _really _uncomfortable with this discussion. This topic was serving to be very interesting to him. However, looking at Izumi's reaction to Russell's following his heart; he knew he could kiss his chances with her goodbye. She will never even consider him an option, because Junpei is Takuya's best friend, and she just said that kind of thing is off-limits. And she was quite hysterical too.

Wait. Whoever even said such nonsense, Izumi and him? That was too good to even imagine. He was just breaking Izumi and Junpei up to protect Izumi! So where did the "consider" thing come from? Oh, he was just thinking of it as an _example_. Yeah, that's it. Just as an example of the friend and relationship complication.

_Kuso (Shit)! _Takuya refrained from saying this out loud. _Why do I feel this way about Zoë WHY? Why can't life be easier for me for once?_

Russell was looking at Takuya as if he knew what he was thinking. And his expression also spoke to him that he had even bothered to argue with Izumi about this was for his ears only, so that Takuya could learn or something.

_What does _he _know about me anyway? _Takuya thought angrily. _I might as well take advantage of Zoë's bad mood._

"How much money do you have left JP?" Takuya says, pulling Junpei's wallet out of his pocket right in the middle of him spoon feeding Izumi so it wasn't like he could do anything.

Takuya opens JP's wallet. He feels for the condom checking to see if it's still there. It is. _Perfect. _He then pulls it out just a little, so that the edge would become a little visible. He then begins laughing at JP's photo, which was taken a few years ago and looked like JP was sitting on an electric chair.

"Hey Zoë, Look at this photo of JP!" he says, shoving the wallet to her. Curious, Izumi reaches for it. JP tries to snatch it away, but Takuya shoved him too.

"Takuya," he hisses in his ear. "You don't know what you're doing!"

Izumi was looking at it intently. Then her eyes wandered to the piece of something shiny sticking out. She slowly pulls it out and looked at it closely… Before shrieking and throwing it at the table where it fell on the ketchup Lili, Tomoki and Kōji were sharing.

"What is it Zoë?" Takuya asks innocently.

"That's a condom!" she shrieks, and glared at Junpei.

"_What!" _Lili cried, knocking the ketchup away from her side. Tomoki however, takes it out and studies it, ketchup dripping from the packet and all.

"So?" Takuya says. "I'm sure that the box JP carries in his bag and the other in the dashboard of his car are just coz he needs _extra_ protection…"

"WHAT?" Izumi cries flabbergasted.

"No! It's not like that!" Junpei cries.

"You love sex _this _much JP?"

"Well, yeah, I'm not going to lie about that, I do enjoy it a lot, but… But it's not what you think! I don't carry anything in my bag!"

Izumi takes his bag and goes through it. She extricates an open box of condoms and holds it up to him.

"No!" Junpei yells. "No! No! How did those get in there? It… It must mean… I'm being hunted! The condoms want me! They're out to get me and they want what makes me a male! Somebody save me! It's the condom monster!"

"Shut UP JP!" Zoë yells.

"Come on Zoë," Takuya says. "Don't be so hard on him. I'm sure he just thought he was doing it for your own good. I'm sure he thought it was better to hide stuff from you."

"Shut _up_ Takuya!" Then she glared back at Junpei, getting up. "JP. Corridor. Now."

"Come on Zoë, breaking up with him is totally not necessary," Takuya calls out after them. "I'm sure they're just the emergency stock he always keeps handy whenever he runs out."

"Are you _trying _to give Zoë ideas Takuya?" Lili asks suspiciously.

"Why would I do that?" Takuya replies innocently while Russell bursts out laughing.

Out in the corridor, Junpei was attempting to somehow rectify the situation.

"Look Zoë, I…"

Izumi however was not listening. She continued walking sternly. When they exited the cafeteria and came by the corridor, she rounded up on him.

"What is this all about Shibayama Junpei?"

"I don't know! It's not what you think! Takuya's lost it! I have no…"

"I understand," Izumi says softly.

"Seriously, it's all Takuya's fault! I don't know… wait. What?"

"I understand you feel awkward about bringing this topic up JP."

"Topic? Condoms?"

"Yes. I know how much you enjoy sex. You used to keep telling us about it anyway. And I know that when you started dating me you didn't know what you were getting yourself into, but you cared about me so you hadn't brought this topic up yet."

"…." Junpei looked at her blankly.

"I can't tell you how much this means to me JP," Izumi says softly. "And I'm glad this topic somehow came up without you having to make me feel even more awkward about it. I was actually dreading the moment that would happen."

"I don't get it," Junpei declared, even though he did. "I didn't wanna pressure you baby, coz you're special, my baby doll. Not before you were ready. I was waiting for you, and I'll keep on waiting girl for as long as it takes you to get comfortable around me. I know the transition from friend to boyfriend still hasn't sunk in completely yet for you. So it's for you to say the word whenever you want."

"Right… JP… I have a confession to make."

"I hope you don't have cooties," he says taking her hand and kissing the back of her palm.

"It's…" Izumi blushes crimson. Junpei holds her.

"Tell me," he whispers in her ear.

"You must promise not to tell the others."

"I wouldn't for the world," he swears, running his finger over his heart.

"It's… Don't freak out OK? It's just that… I've…"

He waits for her to take a few deep breaths before continuing.

"I… I'm a virgin JP."

"_What?_" Junpei stares blankly.

"Yes. It's just… I am waiting for the right person. I know it's crazy and something Li would say as an excuse for her celibacy but… I… I wanted my first time to be special. Different."

"But," Junpei says, still in shock. "All those guys you told us about… Enrique and all…"

"Well… I lied. I didn't want any of you to call me a freak or think I am a freak for not enjoying even talking about sex, like you do to Li."

"We don't call Li a freak… At least not to her face anyway," JP says, not knowing what else to say in his shock. This was _big _news. Not just big but _huge _news.

"I want my first time to be something out of a fairy tale," she tells him animatedly. "With my Prince Charming who would carry me in and a bed of roses and low candle lights with incense and soft music and…"

She could see she had lost Junpei. This was just something guys were too insensitive to fully grasp. Besides, he was still in shock with the news of her big revelation.

"What I want to know is how did you get so many of the uhhh… details… right?" Junpei says, referring to her mild dirty stories.

"I've spent half my life in Italy JP," she says matter-of-factly.

"Oh yeah, Casanova and everything," JP says.

Izumi laughs, hitting him playfully. "Of course _you'd _know."

"Hey, you can't blame me for appreciating the wonders of the opposite sex," he says shrugging.

"So… You're not gonna dump me or anything for making you wait? It could take long you know, and this _is _you we are talking about…"

"Nah, I'm ok. In fact, now you've got me fired up to be your "fairy tale prince" so that I could be the luckiest man on earth to be your first."

"Sweet of you," she says smiling, and kisses him lightly. They broke off as a floor attendant rounded a corner and headed back to their table. Junpei's face was contorted a bit, thinking his balls would explode if Izumi made him wait too long.

It was that expression Takuya and the others saw as they came back. Before JP could sit, he turned to Takuya.

"Takuya, I want a word with you."

_Shimatta! _Takuya thinks, knowing that somehow Junpei found out it was him and now he was gonna get it.

Junpei takes him out of earshot of the others.

"You did that condom thing on purpose didn't you?" Junpei says seriously.

"Well, I uh…"

"Arigato (Thank you)!" Junpei says, shaking Takuya's arm by both his hands. "I don't know how I can thank you dude!"

_Whaaaat? _Takuya wanted to say. Instead, he tactfully just dropped his mouth open.

"You see, the topic of sex had never come up between me and Zoë. This was the perfect way of bringing it up without it making her feel awkward to the extreme!"

"But… But…" Takuya stammers, not believing his ears.

"I don't know how you figured it out that I didn't know how to bring the topic up Takuya, but you totally helped me out! You made it a hell lot easier for me! It worked _perfectly!_" Junpei thumps him hard on the back, almost knocking him over.

"I owe you one Takuya," Junpei says as they began walking back to their table.

Takuya couldn't believe it. His plan had totally backfired. Instead of creating controversies, it had brought Izumi and Junpei even closer. Now the topic of sex even was out between them.

_Kuso kurae no sekai (Eat shit world)! _Takuya mentally screamed. _But I'm so not giving up. Time for a plan B._


	7. Back To The Future

**I am _so very sorry _for a later than usual update! I just got too involved working on my latest Digimon Frontier amv. ****I love making Digimon Frontier amvs, especially Takumi amvs! But this latest one is kind of a tribute to the whole gang. ****I kept writing this chapter in the middle of making it, but my pace was noticeably very slow, on account of my not giving much time to writing!**** I even got stuck badly for a while there in between, but it may or may not be such a valid reason!**

**Anw, for those of you who know me in youtube and watches/is interested in my videos, do check it out! ;D The link to my youtube channel is in my profile page. (Though it really isn't necessary, I'm there with the same name)  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em><strong><span>Reply to reviews:<span>**_

**_Silverly Heart:_** He really has hasn't he? And more is in store to come!

**_Ibbe: _**I'm really glad I could play a part in cheering you up! And I really couldn't decide which genre to put with Romance; Drama or Humour. Because as I had originally intended it to be a humourous story, there actually IS some Tragedy in store for the future which challenges the Humour genre. I'm so confused -_-'

**_Once Upon A Purple Rose:_ **Takuya is such an idiot, who knows what goes on in his head? :P

**_Beautifly18:_** If he just came up and told her, what fun will it be? The story will end a lot sooner even ;D

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>Back to the Future<span>_**

* * *

><p><em><strong>13th April '08, Sunday<strong>_

Takuya was fuming. He took out his cell phone and began sifting through his messages again, from the beginning.

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

Hey!

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<br>**Takuya

Yeah what is it?

**Received:  
><strong>Today**  
>From:<br>**Kōichi

* * *

><p><strong>To:<br>**Kōichi

Need ur help!

**Sent:  
><strong>Today**  
>From:<br>**Takuya

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

I wont let u cheat off my paper AGAIN at tomoro's test. Wht did u do all weekend? N what r u doin textin me instead of actually studyin a word or 2?

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

Wasnt tlkin abt d test

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

Oh. Then wht is it?

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

Hw do I impres Zoey?

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

Y would u wanna do that?

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

2 prove dere r otha guyz out there xept jp n she shudn limit herself

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

Y? She is happy with JP right?

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

She thnks she is! But I dun want him 2 use her!

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<br>**Takuya

He isn't usin her Takuya. He's happy as well. I haven't even seen him look at another girl's ass yet!

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

I hav gud reason 2 b concrnd Kouichi.

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

Oh? Lyk wht?

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

butt out! Wht I say shud b enuf

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

To be perfectly honest, u haven't exactly proven ursel most intelligent person out there Takuya

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

Hey!

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To: <strong>  
>Takuya<p>

N besides, u should b usin this time 2 study for d quiz tomoro n not buggin d shit outta me durin the test jus lyk u do in all tests every yr

**Sent: **_  
><em>Today**  
>From: <strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To: <strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

Who CARES abt d test when my future can b at stake?

**Sent: **_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

Wht r u talking about? Doesn't passing the test tomoro b the center point for your "future" 2 b at stake?

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

I meant Zoey's! Her future! Her future is more imp!

**Sent_:_**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

She's my best friend as much as yours Takuya, but I seriously doubt that your failing the test tomorrow is going to be of any concern to her future even if u do think her's is more imp than yours

**Sent: **_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

y r u readin more in2 this than is necesary u nerd?

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

Whatever Takuya. I'm gonna switch off my cell now so I cant be bothered. Specifically from u.

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

No way! U r nt goin anywhere!

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

Kōichi moved to Greenland.

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

No u havnt! Hw can u still text onnet then?

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

Kōichi has international roaming.

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

U answr me wht I askd Kouichi!

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

Kouichi! U reply me ths sec!

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

* * *

><p><strong>To:<strong>  
>Kōichi<p>

Oh buddy, it is soo ON

**Sent:**_  
><em>Today**  
>From:<strong>  
>Takuya<p>

* * *

><p>Takuya called Kōichi's number.<p>

_The number you've dialled has been powered off. Please try again later._ Takuya dialled again before the message could repeat in Japanese. However, it was with the same result.

_Oh, you won't be getting away this easily Kōichi_, Takuya thought. _If you think you can, you're much less of a nerd than I thought._

* * *

><p><strong><em>14th April '08, Monday<em>**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Nakatsumaki (the 11th graders), Ise section:<em>**

Takuya: Psst… Kōichi…

Kōichi pretended not to hear anything.

Takuya: Kōichi!

They were in the middle of the test. And Kōichi now only turned around because he feared that if Takuya hissed any louder, he'd get them both caught.

Takuya: What's the answer to number 1?

Kōichi: Metamorphosis.

"Thanks," Takuya mouths, and writes it. Then after a moment…

Takuya: Kōichi!

Kōichi: WHAT?

Takuya: What's the answer to number 2?

Kōichi: It's ecology. Now don't bother me!

Takuya: Ok.

Kōichi: Good.

Takuya clicks his pen on and off absently against his desk, mind really not on his test. Then…

Takuya: Kōichi!

Kōichi: (jaw tightening) Yes… Takuya?

Takuya: What's the answer to number 3?

Kōichi: Takuya did you open a single page last night after we stopped talking?

Takuya: Well… No.

Kōichi: Then I'm not going to tell you.

Takuya: But Kōichi!

Kōichi ignores him and puts his head down, having not quite finished the test and ignoring the drone of whispers echoing around the classroom to soothe the headache which was threatening to come. Barely after two minutes of closing his eyes, somebody kicked his legs. He jumps and turns around to see the face staring back at him was… Takuya's. It did nothing to soothe his headache.

Kōichi (astonished): How did you get here?

Takuya: Switched places. Now tell me the answer to number 3.

Kōichi massaged his temples, looking at him unbelievingly.

Kōichi: It's isomerism. Look, if I promise to help you with your Zoë thing, will you promise to not bug me like this for at least a month?

Takuya: Now we're talking! But a month is too long; I can't go that long with less than average grades. No deal.

Kōichi: Ok, how about 30 days?

Takuya: Sure, as long as it's not a month. Deal!

"Good," Kōichi says, then turns his head back around… only to find the teacher's face staring back this time.

Teacher: Tsk tsk. I'm afraid I would _have_ to make an example.

With that he snatches Kōichi's paper from beneath his elbows and writes -5 on Takuya's paper.

Kōichi: B-but…

The teacher looks back. He honestly did look like he hadn't wanted to do this. He was fond of Kōichi.

Teacher: I'm sorry son, no one will learn otherwise.

It was true. The classroom hushed suddenly as if they had entered a funeral. Takuya, however, was trying to rub off the -5 with his ink eraser. All he succeeded in doing was rubbing off the paper.

After the bell rang, Kōichi angrily took his bag and shuffles out to their next class before Takuya could catch up to him, which was in the lab. However, it was of no use seeing Takuya is his lab partner. Takuya comes bouncing in the lab to join him.

Takuya: Sorry about that buddy but knowing you, you probably had finished the test anyway.

Kōichi says nothing.

Takuya: Worry about _me_! I doubt I even _scored _five marks for him to deduct anything out of it. My marks will be so in the negatives.

Kōichi wasn't as aggressive as his brother and wasn't in the mood to hold a grudge. He shook his head.

Kōichi: Surprisingly, it really is you I'm worried for more than myself. You're right; I was almost done with my test anyway.

Takuya: I so knew it. That's Kōichi for you. So, now you help me. You promised you promised you promised!

Kōichi takes his head in his hands. Takuya's voice was hurting his brain like they would any sane person's.

Kōichi: Yes Takuya. I'll think about it. And I'll let you know what I come up with ok?

Takuya slaps him on his back happily. "Sure man!" And they went to work on today's assignment.

* * *

><p>Takuya and Kōichi were roaming the empty corridors of the school after classes were let out, and for once, nobody had detention.<p>

Kōichi: I came up with a plan Takuya.

Takuya: Great! Let's hear it.

Kōichi: You know the movie Back to the Future right?

Takuya: I don't really remember… I think so…Remind me what's it about?

Kōichi: It's about this guy Marty McFly. He accidently gets transferred to the past and almost wrecks his parent's marriage.

Takuya (barely controlling his excitement): How does it turn out in the end?

Kōichi: Come on, you must remember, Marty and Doc hatch a plot to save their history… I mean present… No wait, it'd be the past… Ah whatever! And the thunderbolt on the clock tower and…

Kōichi stops when he saw Takuya hanging on to his every word like he really was hearing this all for the first time.

Kōichi: Wait… You _have _seen the film haven't you?

Takuya: Nah, I haven't. I remembered the name only coz I remember seeing the trailer once.

Kōichi (yells): Great Scott!

Takuya (confused): What?

Kōichi: I can't believe I've met someone who hasn't seen the movie!

Takuya: Well, why's it so surprising?

Kōichi: Why's it so… Takuya! I'm not fond of movies coz you know I get a migraine if I stare at a flashing screen for long, and even _I've _seen the movie!

Takuya: Well, now that is surprising. But what really could I've missed? What's it gotta do with your plan?

Kōichi (cries): Everything! And it's not just that! You've not seen the most awesome time travel movie of the 80s! You are _so _coming over to my house to watch the movie. Now.

Takuya: Sure, I do enjoy a good movie once in a while anyway. But I think The Terminator is the greatest time traveling movie of the 80s, let's see if I'm proved wrong. Can we invite Zoë?

Kōichi: Ummm… Why not let it be just a guy thing?

Takuya: Why?

Kōichi: Then we'll have to invite Li as well. And JP and Tommy.

Takuya (nudges him): You actually _want _an excuse to invite Li don't you?

Kōichi: You kidding? She's… not exactly my type. I kinda prefer more feminine girls, because that _is _what makes them different.

Takuya: Well, she's uhhh… grown _plenty _of feminine stuff since we last saw her. I'm not talking about the hair.

Kōichi: You know what, we _really _shouldn't be talking about the girls we almost daily hang around with in _that_ way. It makes it difficult to face them then afterwards for some reason.

Takuya: Aren't we doing that in a way about Zoë also?

Kōichi: You got me stuck in this! And besides, do you actually _want_ the others to catch up on your plan by seeing the movie?

Takuya: No!

Kōichi: Well, it might give them ideas and they'll know what we're up to, especially if we've recently watched it, and together.

Takuya: Yeah you're right! How come I didn't think of that?

Kōichi: Coz… You never think?

"Yeah," Takuya says grabbing the excuse, thinking it was actually excusing him but which was really pointing out to his stupidity. But Takuya was too stupid to realise this of course.

* * *

><p><strong><em>The Kimura Household:<em>**

Takuya was hooting along with the scenes of the movie, annoying the hell out of Kōji. So it wasn't surprising that when Kōichi returned with a new batch of popcorn, Kōji snatched it from him and tipped it over Takuya's head, banging his head with the bottom of the bowl in the process while all the popcorn fell over his eyes to his clothes and floor. However, Takuya had no problem eating the popcorn off the floor, and neither did Kōji succeed in silencing him, because Takuya went right on cheering and laughing as Marty flew by with a skateboard on the screen and the manure fell all over Biff. So Kōji had to gag Takuya with his bandanna while an amused Kōichi watched with complete indifference. The only complaint Takuya had with this adjustment was that he wasn't able to put the popcorn in his mouth anymore. He didn't care about the beer they were drinking, but he did care about the Coke he had tricked Kōichi into getting for him instead in its place.

After the movie was over and Kōji left to "take a bout of fresh air" or in other words "to get away from Takuya", Kōichi and Takuya lounged in the twins' shared room. It wasn't the first time Takuya had been in there, but the difference still astounded him. The room looked as if it was divided by a line in the middle which despite not existing still looked as if it was there. It was like two sides of a coin, alike yet completely opposite. _Yin-Yang_ was the phrase which came in Takuya's mind.

It wasn't like the paintwork differed or anything. One side of the room was orderly and neat, occupied with a big computer table and books stacked author-wise upon it. The other looked like as if a Tasmanian Devil had been set loose there just after a tornado had passed through it. Whatever furniture or item might be there was hidden by lots of upturned clothes, discarded accessories and paper balls scattered around the dustbin which no doubt had been aimed at the bin from a distance (i.e. the futon or the desk) because the occupant was too lazy to get up and dispose of them properly or they just used it as a substitute for a basketball hoop. It didn't take a genius to figure out which side was which twin's.

Kōichi warned Takuya he only had an hour more as he and Kōji both liked to be alone as they prepared dinner for their mother so she could get a few extra hours of rest. Takuya raised his hand and reminded him that _he_ didn't need any reminding; the memory was all too clear in his head when the twins had invited him to dinner once and he had bursted in on them early in the kitchen and had seen Kōji in their mother's lacy and floral printed apron because Kōji didn't own any and had used hers. Takuya had _dared_ commented on his appearance. Unluckily for Takuya, Kōji had been holding two long and sharp butcher's knife at that moment. Takuya had ended up running all the way home for his life and he kept looking over his shoulder fearfully to see if Kōji was following him. Kōichi had confided to Takuya the next day that the knives had taken the combined strengths of the twins, a few cuts and a half hour to pull out of the wall before their mother came home to find out about it. But, Kōichi had assured him, it wasn't the first time Kōji had done this kind of thing and he was still welcomed to come at their home anytime for dinner. Takuya had weakly told him he feared he had lost his appetite and will to eat dinner at the same table as Kōji for good and he had learned his lesson all too well and one he was never likely to repeat EVER.

Kōichi: Anyway, my plan is the same plan Marty came up with for his parents. We can get someone to pretend to harass Zoë and you can act like a big hero and "save" her.

Takuya: But how do we get her in this kind of situation? We don't have a prom.

Kōichi: It doesn't have to be the prom Takuya. We just have to get her somewhere isolated like the teacher's parking ground or anything where no student happens to pass by like JP.

Takuya: Ok, so you're going to be the one who's going to be "taking advantage" of her?

Kōichi: Ummm… No way Takuya. Believe me you've dragged me this far but there's no way in hell I'm going any further than this.

Takuya: But you promised!

Kōichi: I only promised you to come up with a plan Takuya. I said nothing about actually taking part in it.

Takuya: But how am I supposed to find someone to do the part of harassing Zoë?

Kōichi: That's _your_ headache.

Takuya: But everyone I know are pathetic actors! And they're bound to tell Izumi about it.

Kōichi: Well, then get someone whose hatred for girls is genuine.

Takuya: Really? Like who?

Kōichi: Like Jason.

Takuya (laughs): You think _Jason_ is gonna do _you _any favours? You destroyed him when you were Duskmon! You know he never forgets stuff which does him any harm. He hates your guts.

Kōichi: But given his new hatred for girls, I'm confident his hatred for me has long since subsided and he'll be willing to even help an idiot like you.

Takuya: Ok bud, you're on. Loser does the other's turn of washing the dishes for a week!

Kōichi (smiles): Prepare to get your hands dirty and soapy my friend.

Takuya: Oh, we'll see who'll be getting his hands dirty! Oh wait, I don't think that sounded completely right, doesn't getting your hands dirty mean something different?

Kōichi: Just shut up Takuya.

* * *

><p><strong><em>15th April '08, Tuesday<em>**

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>Boy's toilet in K.I.L.L.S:<span>_**

Takuya: Remind me why he'll be coming here before assembly?

Kōichi: Coz this is the only place he can ummm… do anything without encountering any girl.

Takuya: What do you mean by "anything"?

Kōichi: Ahh… well… he likes to sort out his books and stuff in here so that he doesn't bump into any girls.

Takuya: Phssh! No one hates girls THAT much.

Kōichi: Jason apparently does.

Takuya: Russell and Delilah really did a number on him don't you think?

"Yeah, they did," said a disembodied voice in a British accent. It was followed by the flush of a toilet and the door to a stall opening to reveal a boy with brown hair and green eyes. Oops.

"Jason!" Takuya says, thumping him on the back while Kōichi fought to recover any embarrassment Takuya apparently wasn't feeling. Talk about dumb. He didn't even know if he had said anything inappropriate.

"Takuya!" Jason imitated him sarcastically.

Takuya: Kōichi here was just telling me how much you hate girls. How can you live like that?

Jason: Try retiring your plonker and then see how I do it. You guys need something?

Takuya: Yeah. But what did you eat for breakfast that you had to go to the toilet to empty your stomach this early?

Jason: I really don't think this question is very appropriate, you gormless worm. So why were you guys waiting for me?

Kōichi: Well, you see, we kinda needed you to play a role in this… play we're working on.

Jason: Really? What's the story?

Jason was suspicious. Takuya so knew this wasn't going to work. He rubbed his hands in glee as Kōichi began explaining to him.

Kōichi: Well, you see, the part we need you to play is like this: A girl comes out to her boyfriend's car because she forgot something. Then this crazy abuser guy comes out of nowhere and begins to harass her. She tries to scream for help but no one is really there. But all of a sudden, her boyfriend comes out of nowhere and saves her. Ummm… that's it.

Jason: Hmmm… Sure I'm in your "play", as long as I get to play the crazy abuser guy.

Kōichi looks at Takuya in a clear combined I-told-you-so/he-knows-it-isn't-some-play/he's-freaking-me-out way.

Takuya (coming to his rescue): That's exactly the part we thought for you.

Jason: Who's playing the girl and the boyfriend?

Kōichi: Takuya here is playing the part of the boyfriend and Zoë's playing the girl.

Jason: That bint? Sure, I don't really like the minger. No way would I lose any sleep over it.

Takuya didn't really understand the words but even his minuscule of a brain could judge by his tone that they weren't good words. He started to give him a piece of his mind when Kōichi casually stepped on Takuya's foot and shook his head a fraction of an inch.

Kōichi: Sure, so when are you free?

Jason (shrugs): I'm free in break

"Sure, see you then," Kōichi says, dragging Takuya out before he had a chance to open his mouth.

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>K.I.L.L.S Cafeteria:<span>_**

Takuya took Izumi's purse-bag and began sifting through it, pretending to look for the packet of tissues she told him was there. He sifted through books, make-up kits, brushes, eyeliners, lip-glosses, accessories until he came up with a pair of gold earrings wrapped in a piece of paper. Looking at them, he saw they were the same pair she had been wearing on Saturday when she went out with Junpei on her latest date. He knew because he had been hanging around the park near Zoë's home. Not that he was _stalking_. He was just interested to see when Izumi returned home. It was just by chance he had gotten a good look at her.

He took one butterfly shaped earring and hid it in his pocket. Then he took the other one and held it up to Izumi.

"Nice earring Zoë," he said.

"Thank you, it's my mom's, it's pure gold you know," she says beaming. "It must've gotten loose from the paper; can you put it back in with the other one?"

"Sure thing," he says, and then pulls out the piece of paper. He frowns.

"Zoë, the other one isn't in here," Takuya says.

"Then check in the bag dummy, it must've fallen off," she says impatiently.

"Ummm… No, I might get cooties," he said, coz he didn't wanna run into any... extreme girly stuff she might be carrying.

Izumi snatched the bag from him and turned it upside down on the table. Then she began sifting through her numerous assortments. A worried frown appeared on her face as she saw it really wasn't there. Then she re-checked her bag.

"God, it really isn't there," she says worriedly. "My mother's gonna kill me if she finds out, what do I do?" she turns around frantically.

"Come on Zoë, where else would it go?" Tomoki asks.

Izumi was trying to remember where she had worn them last and why they were in her bag in the first place.

"I went out with JP when I wore them the last time, but I'm sure there were both of them when I put them in there," she says.

"Maybe your memory's running weak," Kōji says. "You couldn't even remember whether you ate any breakfast when you were buying that sandwich."

Izumi doesn't reply, knotting her fingers in agitation.

"Maybe you dropped it in JP's car or something on Saturday Zoë," Lili says the magic words, she being the only one Zoë tells the girly personal details of her life to.

Izumi turned to her. "Anything's worth checking," she says. Then she looks at JP. "Did you bring your car by any chance today?"

"As a matter of fact I did," Junpei says, surprised. "Quite a coincidence don't you think?" He fishes around in his pocket for his keys. "Let's go check the _whole _car Zoë."

"Oh no you don't!" Lili came to Takuya's rescue again, yanking Junpei back to his seat.

"What?" he says innocently.

"No way are you making out in the backseat of your car, we're having LUNCH for crying out loud! What do you think this will do to my stomach knowing you're out there doing THAT?"

"But I didn't say I'll do anything!"

"You feel guilty you are guilty," she says, totally repeating Kōji's lines from that time back when they had been deciding the seating arrangements in JP's car back in the holidays, earning a respectful nod from his direction. "Koi! Sit back down. Takuya, _you_ go with Zoë."

"Awww man!" Junpei says unhappily.

Takuya couldn't believe his ears. Everything was falling _perfectly_ in place without him even having to say anything! He nodded solemnly, refraining himself from looking at Kōichi, who really looked like he won't be able to control his laughter if Takuya stayed there another second.

"Let's go Zoë," he says, taking her hand and dragging her out of the cafe. He looks back to see Jason getting up from his table. _Good. _All the pieces were in place.

Takuya looked around to make sure the parking lot was deserted. Then he launched into his act. He smacked his head hard.

"Kuso!" Takuya says. "If we really are heading to his car, I might as well put my football in it. It is such a pain to carry it around all day! I'll be back in a flash ok?"

He runs off before Izumi could yell at his back nothing more than _Takuya!_

Shaking her head in frustration, she didn't bother waiting for him. Upon reaching the car, she fiddled with the door on the passenger's side of the car. (Oh by the way, in Asia, the cars mostly have the driver's seat on the _right _side instead of the _left _side like they do in Europe and America). Without completely getting inside, she leaned in and looked around. She realised she was blocking the sunlight with her frame, so she got inside the car a little more… When all of a sudden she was pushed inside, and fell face first into the seat. She looked back angrily, thinking it was Takuya playing some sort of trick on her and all ready to slap him, as his hand had touched her hips. But what she saw instead was the face of Jason looking back at her maliciously. His face was contorted, like he was trying to hold in a laugh.

"Yo Blondie," he says.

"Jason," she says distastefully, remembering how he had called her ugly before.

"Wow, a trollop like you, I never really expected you to remember my name," he says, getting inside the car. "I hear you get around."

"I don't care whatever you've heard you scumbag," Izumi retorts. "Get out of this car or I'll…" she flinched, as he scooted even closer. "I'll scream," she finished.

"But who's here to hear you except me little Blondie?" he says, laughing.

Izumi with a sinking heart realised he was speaking the truth. She was suddenly afraid.

"You wouldn't dare do anything!"

"Wouldn't I?"

"Ummm… No! Because… Because Takuya and the others know I'm out here, and they'll know something is up if I'm not back soon. And Takuya will be back here any second anyway! He's gone in to take his ball, and he'll kick your ass so hard you won't recognise it!"

"Oh, believe me when I say I won't even need that long Blondie," he says. "Believe it or not, I'm not interested in raping you. I just want to torture you and hear your screams of agony, because damsels in distress have started to have a tendency to… Arouse me."

"You are _so_ overdramatic." Izumi declared, thinking Jason had memorised his lines or something before making his move, coz he sure sounded like he was reciting rehearsed phrases.

In response, he grabs both her arms tightly. Izumi tries to struggle out of his grip. When she couldn't, she started to scream, but he covered her mouth tightly, and her screams were lost in his palm.

From Takuya's vantage point behind a car around a hundred yards away, he could tell Jason was playing his part well. It totally looked like he was trying to rape her. Now, time to carry out his part of the rescue. He got up and dusted his uniform. Then taking a deep breath, he ran towards the car to play the big "hero". However, things were about to go unknowingly complicated.

Izumi saw how repulsed Jason was getting when her failed screams sent her spit flying on his palm, like he couldn't wait to get them off and was waiting for a chance to do so. She suddenly had an idea. She knew he hated _everything_ about girls. Squeezing her eyes shut, she bean licking his hand.

It worked. Jason screamed and pulled both his hands off of her. He looked at Izumi with blazing anger in his eyes.

"You vile piece of shit! You bloody, manky scrubber! If I get the lurgy, I'm going to kill you!"

Izumi forgot all about her embarrassment or fear. She didn't know _what _to feel. She just looked at him in amusement.

"You are _such _a nancy-boy!" she says. Jason screams in anger, and forcefully gets out of the car. Izumi sat there wondering what the hell was going on.

Outside, Jason was angrily staunching away when he ran into Takuya, who was standing a little ways away and had watched the turn of events without understanding what the hell was going on either. When Jason approached him, he just shoved him and continued walking away, yelling something like _the deal's off!_

Takuya looked back in the car to see Izumi watching him. He made his way there, totally confused.

"What the heck is going on Zoë? Why was Jason walking away like that?"

Izumi eyed him angrily. "You are _such _a completely waste of space Takuya! Where the _hell _were you? What the hell were you _doing?"_

"Ummm… what?"

"Forget it!" she says, fiddling with the car door again. "What kind of a male even _are _you? You're not even there to protect a girl from harassment! Instead you're out there chasing after a STUPID ball! Which you couldn't even FIND!" she explodes, looking at Takuya's football-less hands.

"No wait, Zoë! Listen please!" he says leaping up to stop Izumi but he reaches just as Izumi slams the door on his face. "Ouch!" he yells but Izumi stalked off without even glancing behind.

When he was finally able to catch up with her, she insisted on ignoring him.

"At least I found your earring!" he cries. Izumi snatches it from him without even moving an inch to look at him.

Takuya smacked his head. He wished someone would tell him what went wrong and how things went so haywire. He had meant to _impress_ Izumi, but all he had ended up doing was hugely pissing her off and giving her the impression that he was a man she could never rely on instead of the intended impression of making him look like her hero, Izumi hating him and a large amount of dishes in Kōichi's home. Now Izumi questioned the presence of his maleness, and would also really think Junpei was better than him. _KUSO!_

Add to the list of people he will NOT be asking for favours anytime soon:

1) Lili

2) Russell

3) Kōichi

4) Jason

He really should be getting back to working on his _own _future now, and if he intended to share it with Izumi, he better come up with a much better plan than his recent fails.


	8. Your Love Is My Drug

**I think it has been more than two months I've updated this story. It just that my hard drive crashed, and when it got ok, I got really really busy with end of semester duties. But now my updates will be speedier now I'm free. Thank you for all who are reading this story to be patient.  
><strong>

**I've also uploaded a new story, and it's kind of opposite to this one. This one is light and comedy, and that one is going to be taking a darker tone. It's called _Heart Hacker _for those who're interested in Takumi.  
><strong>

_**RockMusiFan80** _**making Takuya suffer is what I'm technically going to be doing in the single digit chapters. I still have to decide how long I want to make this story and if I should include the drama or leave it for the sequel. **

**Thank you everyone for reviewing!**

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>Your Love is my Drug<span>_**

* * *

><p><strong>Takuya<strong>

* * *

><p><strong><em>16th April '08, Wednesday<em>**

Izumi was already late for class as it is when she bursted through the gates of school when she was ambushed by Aqumi. She was apparently waiting for her in the corridor and wasn't caring if she herself was running late.

"What is it Ai?" she says impatiently as Aqumi stopped her.

Aqumi had once told us that the housekeepers who had raised her all called her Ai for short. Before her adventures, Aqumi had hated the name. It was so ironic. Ai meant "love" in Japanese and Aqumi was the Warrior of Hate. It made her feel like the Hell Girl Enma Ai, whose name bore a lot of similarity to her situation, Enma meaning Hate and Ai meaning love. After her adventures, she had let us all call her Ai and felt proud of it. The name was a secret joke only our group shared.

"I wanted to know how you were feeling today. You're late because you didn't want to get out of bed to face the world. Are you still feeling off?"

"What the heck are you talking about?"

"I already told you before also, you need to hide nothing from me," Aqumi says. "I'm uhhh… harmless. Honest. It's not like I even have anyone I'd be super eager to gossip about it."

"It was really fun and all talking to you Ai, but I'm _really _running late, and my first period is with Meiji-sensei. He'll not let me off the hook so easily. He'll embarrass me in front of the whole class first and _then_ kick me out. Even you are late for class, and Li told me you don't have particularly tolerant teachers either."

She ignored this. "At least have this," she says, thrusting one of the books she held in Izumi's hand. It was titled, _Work, And How to Avoid It._

"Ummm… what am I supposed to do with this? I have no trouble with working."

Aqumi looks at it. "Oops, wrong book, that's actually the book Takuya asked me to bring for him," she says, looking at Izumi carefully and closely as she said my name.

Izumi's face hardened just a little as she listened to her. And instead of giving Aqumi her usual complimentary reply like, _No way, Takuya hates to read, as it comes under the heading of Work only, _she remained impassive, like she hadn't even noticed my name being said.

"So if there's nothing else, can I leave now?" Izumi says checking her cell phone for the time. "_Commosione! _I'm really late now! Later Ai!" With that she runs off.

After she was gone, I came out of the bush I was hiding in.

"The news isn't good Takuya," Aqumi says. "She didn't like even hearing your name."

"Yeah, I saw that. Chiku shou (Damn it)! Oh well, arigato Ai."

"Dou itashimashite (You're welcome). And don't worry; he may be a big girl but I'm sure Jason won't tell on you to her."

"I hope."

* * *

><p>Kōichi and I ran straight into Lili in the corridor as we got out of our class and were making our way to the cafe. She was walking away alone. We called out to her and caught up with her. I saw that Zoë wasn't with her. But then why was Lili walking around the eleventh graders section?<p>

"Why are you going alone? Don't you always come here to meet Zoë and walk to the toilet or whatever before going to the caf with her?" I ask.

"Yes," Lili replies, "But Anderson wanted to talk to her, so he and I came to meet her here together. He had to talk about some private stuff with her so she and Anderson left together."

"Who?" Kōichi asks.

"Anderson," Lili repeated. "Arbormon. Dolly."

"Oh, you mean _Jason,_" Kōichi says.

"Yeah, him," she says waving her hand carelessly. Kōichi stopped and stared at me. It didn't help me any further. My stomach had twisted in knots upon hearing the words.

"You didn't tell me how it turned out yesterday," Kōichi says softly.

I shake my head, my face spelling out _d-o-o-m._ We both started walking again, not knowing what to expect. I tried to get more out of Lili without making her suspicious.

"What did he wanna talk about?" I ask, trying to appear nonchalant.

"I dunno," she says shrugging. "He wouldn't say in front of me, but Zoë tells me everything, so it's only a matter of time when I _do _know anyway."

I wasn't sure what to make of it. True, Zoë does tell her all her stuff, but Lili didn't look like she knew anything about what had happened yesterday. I tried to test her.

"Did Zoë tell you she found her earring?" I ask.

"Yeah, it was in JP's car right?" she says, busy ruffling her bag for loose change to contribute to our lunch. Kōichi offered to hold her bag while she searched, helping me by stalling for time.

"Yeah," I say.

I couldn't decide whether she knew. Lili kept other's secrets like a sealed vault and acted so dumb and innocent that she got one really confused whether she knew anything. She would make a great spy. She hadn't even breathed a word to anyone about my Zoë infatuation. I know she knows. I have felt her eyes on me many times when she caught me staring at Zoë and when I looked back at her she would always smile knowingly and mischievously.

Girls. What WAS it about them? My doubts were however confirmed when Lili spoke next.

"Oh and Takuya, You were asking me that day what do girls hate the most about guys right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, the other thing they hate the most is when a guy gives something else importance over them, even inanimate stuff like a football."

I stare at her. She smiles in that mischievous manner of hers.

"Come on, it's your turn to fight into that horde they call a line. It's not going to get any thinner just looking at it."

She takes Kōichi's hand and drags him away to their table, leaving me standing in front of the canteen alone. I look around. Shinya and Zack stood in a corner talking, looking much like JP and Tommy had when JP had led him away at the park to talk private, though I can bet a million yen that their topic of conversation isn't about Zack teaching Shinya what he needed to know about girls. It didn't take me long to spot Izumi and Jason. They were standing away from our group, talking animatedly. Izumi looked up at that precise moment and I felt a cold stare. I shivered and turned around immediately, taking a deep breath and launching headfirst into the tide of student wrestling to get their orders placed first.

"Watch it Takuya," I heard Russell's familiar laugh. Being taller and a senior, he would no doubt have his order placed much before me.

I handed him our money. "Get me 7 different drinks and 7 different sandwiches or burgers," I say, running away from work as usual.

Russell winked at me and turned back around. Two minutes later, we were both standing with pieces of recycled papers used as tokens in our hands in the other, much tamer line to take our orders.

"Hey there Delilah," Russell greeted her as she came to stand beside him. Yes, I'm aware it's a song, but that's what he said.

She was a thing of beauty, with mahogany hair and shining eyes which lit up even more when she looked at Russell. She looked older and more mature for her age than she was, with a mean figure, both attractive and strong at the same time. I know she played tennis. Russell was looking down at her smiling warmly and seductively, running his fingers through her hair. Looking at them, like always, I felt a pang in my heart for something I know I'm missing. I wish I also had a girlfriend who stood by my side always, in more ways than one. I looked back to where Izumi was standing and this time I saw both her and Jason looking at me with eyes of hardened steel, their daggers reaching and poking me even from that distance.

Maybe they're looking at Russell and Delilah like that, coz I remembered how Izumi had instantly sided with Jason instead of Russell that day of the condom episode, but I knew it was only wishful thinking.

When our turn came, it was then only when Russell and Delilah both broke out of their looking-at-each-other's-eyes trance.

"Hey Delilah," I said as Russell picked up his tray.

"Hey Takuya, how are you?" she replies in her little girl voice.

I shrug in reply.

"OK, since when has your girlfriend to-be and Jason been so chummy?" Delilah asks, nodding in their direction.

I groaned. Of course Russell told her everything. And only _his _side of the story as well no doubt. I had no doubt that Delilah knew about the episode of the condoms. But I was in no mood to argue as my stomach was still twisting in knots. I might as well kiss my chances with Zoë goodbye now anyway.

We went back to our table together. JP had thoughtfully combined two tables to make room for all fifteen of us, including Shinya and Delilah. Two chairs were still empty as Izumi and Jason hadn't returned yet.

Zack lit up a cigarette upon sitting down, never caring about the No Smoking rule in the cafeteria. Myakka sat beside him, throwing him moony looks she might have had better luck throwing to a stone while holding a casual hand to her face to avoid inhaling the smoke billowing in her direction; she hated smoking and smokers, just like Zoë, but that didn't stop her from hating Zack. She no doubt hoped that once she had him hooked, she could get him to quit.

Shinya is yapping away with Tomoki about some video game, arguing about who was better and who could pawn who and who had the better score.

Russell and Delilah are feeding each other, completely oblivious to the rest of the table. I wondered why they had bothered to sit with us anyway instead of getting a separate table together. It would've been better that way anyway, both for them and us, as things are bound to get awkward once Jason joined us.

Lili and Junpei were absorbed in another one of their Boys vs. Girls conversations. They won't be lifting their head up for a while now, I know, looking at Lili's red face blooming with excitement. She is somewhat a feminist. Joanne wasn't an active part of the conversation, but kept giving her opinions, as obvious siding with Li.

The twins are arguing about whose turn it was to clean their room while Aqumi listened in on them. Knowing that topic, I'm sure it will be difficult for them to ever come to a decision. Or on a different note, if their room would ever get clean.

Just then, Izumi and Jason join us. All conversation ceases for a while before resuming, everyone's glances flying from Jason to Russell and Delilah. Russell grins awkwardly but Jason gives no sign he had noticed them even sitting there.

I look at Izumi. She's also behaving like she hadn't seen me sitting here. Awesome.

I couldn't understand why Izumi and Jason were behaving like the episode of yesterday had never even happened between them. They had their heads leaned in close and were whispering intently. I felt Jason deserved as much of the attitude Izumi was giving _me_. He was a part of it too damn it! But instead, he was getting quite the opposite of it; good attention! I fully intend to eavesdrop on their conversation. It wasn't like anyone was paying me much attention anyway.

"… Think you're being immature again," Izumi was saying.

"Nope. I just don't like that." That was Jason.

"Forget it. It's up to you now. You wanted advice I gave you."

I couldn't understand _what _the hell they were talking about. Were they still talking about me? I wasn't given more of a chance to listen in further, as Aqumi had to choose that moment to speak to Izumi.

"Zoë. How have you been holding up?"

Izumi rolls her eyes. "Not this again Ai."

"I've noticed you aren't sitting with Mr Fat."

"Hey!" Junpei said from across the table, having heard the comment. Not that Aqumi cares.

"So?" Izumi asked.

"So that means you don't _exclusively _need him to be in top form."

"Of course I don't. I told you before also, I need all my friends."

"Hey!" JP says again. Nobody listened to him.

"Yeah, sure you do. You need a good friend. I'm talking about a "special" friend, get my drift?"

Izumi blushed lightly, as now everyone was listening in, interested.

"What of it?"

Aqumi looks at all the attention they had attracted.

"Ok everyone, let's play a game," she announced. "Starting with Zoë, we each will have a turn to tell the qualities we want in our "special" friend. Both physical and… mental." She rolled her eyes at the last bit, speaking for everyone. Obviously it's the physical qualities which make you want to approach a person in the first place.

Everyone nodded, even if they were a bit uncertain. It sounded sort of interesting to them; though I hope Aqumi knows what she's doing.

"So, start Zoë," she says, nodding at her and glancing sideways at me. As if I needed the hint.

"Ummm… OK I don't really know how this topic even came up but..." She taps her chin with her index finger, pretending to think. When she spoke, however, it was clear what everyone already knew. Izumi had already set standards for her perfect guy to be like a long time ago.

"I would want him to be tall…"

Cross that. I didn't even get to qualify for the TRIALS. It's not MY fault I'm the typical Japanese.

"Smart…"

I remember that day last year when Zoë had invited the others and me over at a party her parents were throwing at her house and I had reached her house in normal jeans and a sweater not understanding why all the others, even Tommy, were dressed in suits. Then Zoë had invited us in and I'd had a good look around at how all the men were dressed in three piece suits and all the women were dressed in ball gowns. The worst flaw of having a filthy rich best friend is that you forget how filthy rich she is and what kind of people her family no doubt associate with. I had spent the entire evening trying to dodge disapproving looks from the elders and girls my age group eying me up and down, pointing at me and giggling. Zoë had told me it would be considered rude amongst the guests if I left, even to go home and change clothes. So, _cross_ again_._

"Handsome…"

Isn't this some sort of combination of being tall and broad shouldered or whatever? Because I certainly am not. _CROSS._

"Muscular…"

OK, now kid me not. I'm a football player (soccer), not an _American football_ player (rugby). _Cross._

"Protective…"

Do you have a weak memory? Did you already forget about Jason assaulting Izumi and me being a tad late to "save" her thing? _Cross._

"A non smoker..."

I live with Shinya. Izumi no doubt also associates me in the smoker category. _Cross._

"Attractive…"

Ummm… No. The girls who even find me remotely interesting only go for me coz I was in the football team last year. _Cross._

"Rich…"

Ummm… things had been tensed at my house for a year now as the real estate company where my father works is going bankrupt. Anything can happen any day. _Cross._

"Good listener…"

I myself am always trying to make myself heard. _Cross._

"Compromising…"

Me? Compromising? HA! _Cross._

"Intelligent…"

Judging by the way how Kōji had popularised the name "Dumbass" around the whole school by calling me that constantly and how my plans keep backfiring, I very much doubt if Izumi will count me in the intelligent category. _Cross._

"Sensitive…"

Li is always calling me Hot Headed as OPPOSED to being Sensitive. _Cross._

"Caring…"

"Ok Zoë, we get the idea," Li says mildly as all the guys sniggered. At this rate, Izumi might_ just _have to keep on dreaming.

"Oh," Izumi blushes a little, just realising now how much she had enjoyed talking about it. "So, whose turn is it now?"

"Ooh ooh, me me me me!" Junpei says, jumping up and down on his chair, raising his hand and increasing the risks of the chair he was sitting on breaking like yesterday _again_. "Mine mine mine!"

"Hmmm…" Aqumi says, looking around the table, ignoring Junpei. "How about you, Takuya?"

Everyone's eyes land on me. I flinch. What the hell did Aqumi think she was doing? If this was also a part of her plan it sure wasn't a good one!

"Ummm..." I stalled. "Uhhh..."

"Today Takuya," Shinya says. Everybody laughs. Great. Just what I wanted, to be made a fool of in front of Izumi. I never understood why Shinya seems to hold more power than me anyway.

"Well... I've uhhh..."

I saw through the corner of my eye that Izumi is looking at me. I clear my throat.

"I've always kind of liked more of the traditional type. You know... like, I want my perfect girl to be modernistic, but cultural at the same time. Like I don't really like those types of girls at all, who think they're all that just because they wear tight fitting western clothes and fake their accents. I mean, that isn't sane, they're pretending to be someone who they're not because they think it makes them look "cool"."

"Yeah Takuya, you have good reason not to like them, coz you're never getting one!" Kōji cracks and everyone went into fit falls of laughter. I swear at him before catching myself, due to respect of the girls sitting at the table. Then I bury my head in my arms.

Junpei slams the table. "It's my turn now. Right? Right?"

Aqumi looks at him dismissively. "Nah, I'm tired of this game. Let's go back to doing nothing again."

JP looks at Joanne. "Is it me, or she has it in for me or something?"

"Nah, it's only you," Joanne says sarcastically.

I didn't care, head still buried in my arms. In that position, I could just see Zack taking out another cigarette and offer one to Shinya, who politely declined. Then I saw Shinya take out his own pack and offer one to Zack. Zack took it without hesitation and the two both grinned at each other as Zack put his own fag away, as if sharing a secret.

Dope. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on, especially me, who lives under the same roof as Shinya and even share the same room. I spend almost every night inhaling second hand smoke with my head sailing in cloud nine as I try aimlessly to sleep. It's my belief that Shinya even spiked his breakfast to get him going through the day. Izumi had just said she didn't like smokers so no doubt the same thing went for dopers as well.

I snapped my head up. A plan was quickly forming in my head. But for this I would need Shinya, and Shinya had proved more than one time that he is NOT someone I can depend on without suffering some kind of loss.

"Hey Zack," I say turning towards him, my voice low to prevent Jason, Zoë and Mia who were sitting beside us from overhearing.

In response, Zack puffed smoke in my direction. The familiar scent suckered my nostrils and fogged my brain again.

"Ummm... Yeah... Other than Shinya, who else supplies you?"

Zack looks at me indifferently. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I try to control my mind. "You know exactly what I'm talking about bub."

"Nope," Zack denies easily.

I hadn't thought about this. Now what? I racked my mind for an eye witness account I could throw at Zack's face so he won't be able to deny his association with drugs, which everyone knew about anyway. I had to hand it to this guy though, because even though people knew, no could prove it and Zack could easily deny and one would be left with nothing. Like me. This guy was GOOD.

"So are you saying Shinya and you haven't ever... uhhh... Dealt?"

"Shinya who?" Zack says casually.

I sigh in frustration and turn away. I'd have to change my tactic. Just as I was thinking of another way, Zack tapped my shoulder.

"Why?" he asks. "You already have a brother who can supply you."

"No," I say. "I don't want any for myself. I am just looking for information."

"Information about?"

"Marijuana... Cocaine," I look pointedly at the cigarette balanced between two of his fingers. He swiped the ash carelessly onto the floor.

"Ok, now you can't fool me that you're new at this since you _live_ with Kanbara."

"Yeah, because I'm Kanbara as well, how could I've missed that?" I say smartly. "But I uhhh... tend to not involve myself in any of his... business."

"Well, Shinya mixes his own cigarettes. You already know the key ingredients."

"Yeah, so... That's all you do? Get them from Shinya?"

Zack raises an eyebrow. I backtracked at once.

"Anyway, how high does it take you?"

"Depends how much you're used to it, and how much of a beginner you are. It also depends on how quickly you inhale it and finish the joint."

I thought for a while. "Can you recognise it once it's mixed?"

"You can't really tell by looking at it," Zack says. "But you can tell at once by smoking it. But there _are_ some things you can't tell when they're spiked," he says grinning.

I shivered. I had seen this kind of evil grin on Shinya's face when he's about to or has already spiked anything I'm consuming. Zack had put it simply that he wasn't buying my lame attempts to disguise my true intentions. Now we were getting to the point.

"Yeah, you've got the point... I'm actually looking for something which can be mixed in a drink to spike it. I'm planning on pulling a prank on someone..."

"For that, everyone's best friend is vodka. I have friends you can easily..."

"No no, I want something stronger, and something with effects that don't take too long to kick in and knocks you out quick."

Zack nods. "Yes, what you want is Roaches."

"What?" I ask, disgusted. "You're seriously telling me that I need cockroaches?"

"No you dumb idiot," Zack says, his voice dropping considerably. "I'm talking about Rohypnol."

"Oh. How the hell can I acquire that?"

Zack looks at me like I was pulling a lame joke. "Kanbara, you have a brother who is a pro at these things and has all the right contacts."

Now _I _look at him like _he_ was trying to pull a very lame joke. "Ivankov, are you suggesting I ask Shinya?"

"Obviously."

"Are you high?" I mutter furiously, as loud as I can without attracting the attention of others. "I don't have a death wish you know!"

"What?" Zack laughs. "Are you actually _scared _of him?"

"No!" I say hotly.

He raises an eyebrow. "Then you'll have no problem asking him, correct?"

I stared at him. He had caught me neatly as a deer caught in the headlights of an approaching vehicle. But I have ego. Every guy does. And no way in hell was I admitting to him.

"Yup, I have no problem at all," I say stiffly.

"Good," Zack grins. I try to stop myself from glaring at him angrily.

"Just out of curiosity, who're you planning on date raping? I hope you didn't take Kōji seriously, coz he may be right but he's not a lady's man himself so what does he know?"

"_What_? You actually think I'm…! No way!" I sputtered. I'm actually planning on accusing someone _else _of date raping.

"Come on, you can tell me, I won't tell. Is it Zoë?"

"NO!" I explode. I was loud, so Izumi and Jason turned to glare at me. I ducked my head under my arms again.

To put this plan into action, I'll need to talk to my brother. Asking Zack for further help now would be admitting I'm scared of my _little_ brother, and no way was I doing that. I look at Tomoki and Shinya still talking about video games, thinking…

* * *

><p><strong><em>Later that night, at the Kanbara household<em>**

"Here you go Takuya," Tomoki says, handing me a very small medicine bottle. I survey it intently.

"Is this it?" I say in awe.

Tomoki shrugs. "Probably. And Shinya warned me that an overdose can be lethal when you're going through withdrawal, so you might wanna be careful."

"Sure." It's not like I'm planning on actually _using_ it. "Well thanks a bunch Tommy."

"No problem," Tomoki says. "I don't get why you couldn't ask Shinya for a free sample for yourself though, it's not like he lives in Kyoto."

"Uhhh…"

"Now where's my part of the deal?" Tomoki asks.

I pull out a magazine from under my mattress and toss it to him.

"Neat! I haven't been able to get this limited edition," Tomoki says happily.

"Since when were you interested in hentai?" I say, amused.

Tomoki looks up at me from the cover. "Since JP told me a few things and Shinya showed me a bunch of stuff and when I discovered my brother's stash. Now come on. This was part of the deal. I don't ask you what you want with that thing and you don't ask me what I want with this baby."

"Yeah… Don't ask don't tell right?"

"Yup. Well, see you around Takuya. I uhhh… ought to be getting home."

"Sure you do," I say.

Tomoki grins slyly before exiting the room.

I lock the door and empty the bottle on my open palm, looking carefully at the five white 1mg pills. I sniff, but they were odourless, sure enough. I didn't have anything bad planned; I just wanted to get JP caught in its possession so I can accuse him for planning on date raping Izumi, in front of her of course. Then Zoë would see that he planned on taking advantage of her.

* * *

><p><strong><em>17th April '08, Thursday<em>**

I was thinking about the best way to bring Izumi's attention to whatever it is I'll end up doing to sabotage JP's image, especially as she still wasn't talking to me. I took out the little bottle and looked at it again, thinking, leaving my breakfast unattended on the table.

"Hey there nii-san!" Shinya yelled, causing me to jump. I hurriedly toss the bottle back in my pocket.

"What do you want Shinya?"

"What'chu thinking?" Shinya says

"None of your bee's wax," I snarl.

"Here, let me pour your drink for you," Shinya says, taking out my opened can and pouring it in a glass.

I looked at him like he was joking. Shinya laughs.

"Don't worry, I haven't done anything. I'm in a particularly good mood today."

I saw Shinya that hadn't stopped pouring the juice and it was overflowing. I jump and grab his arm to stop him.

"Clean this mess dipshit," I say. Shinya grabs a rag and wipes it, all the while laughing. He continued to wipe at the spot long after it was clean, forgetting he was even doing that.

"Sweet Buddha you're high again," I groan. Shinya wasn't a drug addict if you speak technically. He got high like this around only four times a month.

"Maybe," he giggled, grabbing a cup of tea while I passed him a "toast". He took a bite.

"Kuso, it tastes like cardboard!"

"That's because it _is _cardboard dear," I say smirking. I couldn't resist taking advantage of Shinya whenever he got like this. It gave me an inner satisfaction of getting back at him for all the pranks he's always pulling on me.

Shinya looks at it confusedly, and then tosses it to the dustbin, where it bounced off the can with his weak aim, even though the bin was only a few feet away from him.

Taking a sip of the tea, he retched. "God that's revolting," Shinya says, looking at it closely. "This really is tea aint it?"

"Yes it is," I say. "But you forgot to add your normal gazillion teaspoons of sugar in it."

Wow, I thought. I wasn't planning on letting Zoë drink whatever I'll be mixing, but what if Izumi accidently _does _drink something spiked? Shinya, experienced as he was, still got this absent minded when he's high.

I push this thought away. No, Zoë won't be getting anything. I won't make this kind of dangerous mistake again. The lesson I've learnt from Jason is still fresh on my mind. What if Jason actually _had_ done something? I'd never have been able to forgive myself. But my mind would've no doubt found a way to blame it all on Kōichi instead. I know I'm a bit stupid sometimes. (Revelation Revelation)

Shinya laughs again. "Guess I'll skip breakfast today. I'm heading for school. See you around Taki boy. Oh and make sure you finish your juice!"

He giggles at my dumbstruck expression as he waltzed away.

Now, I know that Shinya just said that to get me nervous, but I wasn't taking any chances. I poured all the juice down the drain and washed the glass thoroughly as I tossed my empty can of drink away.

* * *

><p><strong><em>K.I.L.L.S Cafeteria<em>**

"It's not my turn! Yokatta!" I say, sitting down at the table.

Izumi looked at my coldly as she sat down with JP. I flinch.

"Ouch," Kōji whispers to me. "What did you do this time Kanbara?"

I gave Kōji almost the same look I had received from Izumi. Why must everyone insist on making my life very difficult?

JP conveniently sat down right beside me. At least something was right. I planned on getting this mess cleaned over before Tomoki joined us after getting our lunch and figured out what was going on and opened his mouth. I was glad the others had decided to sit in separate pairs today, but Kōji as usual had to butt in with me to make my time hell.

"Why the hell did you ditch Kōichi and Lili? Weren't you sitting with them for your own "private" stuff?"

"Why the hell are you sitting with JP and Izumi? Won't they have their own private stuff?" Kōji counters.

Did I mention how much I hate him?

I scan the cafeteria for a sign of Kōichi and Li and saw them sitting a bit further off with Zack and Aqumi. Joanne must not be far, as she and Li are becoming practically like glue. Right at that moment, Zack and my eyes met, and he winked, like he knew what I was trying to do. I look away, pretending I hadn't seen anything.

I catch Kōji steal an uneasy glance at Aqumi's direction. Well, that's one mystery solved I guess.

I had just taken the bottle out of my pocket when it slipped from between my fingers and landed on the floor right beside JP's feet. I flinched, my eyes automatically closing, taking deep breaths. I hoped no one had noticed. But I should've known my luck. JP was already bending over to retrieve it.

"What is it?" Izumi asks curiously.

"I don't know…" JP says, turning it around to examine it.

"You don't know?" she scoffs. "Show me."

JP hands it over. She looks at the tag and I could almost see her mouthing the word "Rohypnol". Wow, Europe had educated her a LOT. She looks up at me with a fierce expression.

"Where did you get this?" She demands to know.

She talked to me, but I couldn't acknowledge this fact over the roar in my ears which kept screaming _my life is officially over,_ over and over again.

JP is also looking at me, and he must've seen something in my expression, coz he went, "That's mine actually."

Both Zoë and I turned to gape at him. Whaaat?

He spoke softly, so Zoë and I had to stoop closer to listen. For some mystical reason, Kōji wasn't even paying attention to our conversation. He was absorbed in his cell phone.

"Well, I asked Takuya to bring me some sleeping pills you know... Coz I've been kinda depressed lately and haven't been able to sleep at all."

"Awww my poor baby! Why didn't you ever tell me this problem?" Izumi says worried.

"I just didn't wanna worry you Zoë darling," JP says convincingly.

"But JP! There are supposed to be _no_ secrets in a relationship!"

"I know, and I'm sorry," JP says solemnly. "I promise I'll never do this kinda thing without first telling you again."

Izumi looked like she wanted to remain angry, but JP had won her over. Me? I could just look from JP's face to Zoë's with my mouth dropped open till the floor. My mind kind of clouded over and I missed their line of conversation. I got back in my senses just as Izumi was telling JP she was confiscating the bottle tossing it in her bag, and forbidding him from taking anti depressants. There was a lot of mushy stuff, but I don't want to get into that. My stomach is already weak.

If Zoë was still talking to me, she would have growled at me that why hadn't I told her on my first impulse what JP had asked me to do. But she _wasn't_ talking to me.

After the break was over, JP cornered me, like I knew he would.

"Takuya boy you did it again!"

I could just stare at him speechlessly.

"Zoë's caring for me has grown by like around ten times! I was getting kind of impatient waiting for it to happen and it finally did, all thanks to you! I don't know HOW much I'm in your debt till now Taki boy!" JP says, almost burying me into the ground again.

I don't know why the hell this keeps happens to me. Why is Lady Luck NEVER on my side? Why are my perfect, flawless plans always backfiring on me! No good thing ever comes out of anything I do! Now the only person I can turn to without exposing myself completely is Kōji, and there's no way in hell am I doing that!

Joanne doesn't count, as when I had asked her, she had butted in my business just like Russell had.

I'm destroying all my chances with Zoë; I'm further driving her away by my plans which keep nipping me in the pants. It's like I'm my own worst enemy.

All I can say now is, back to the drawing board.


	9. Heart Broken In A Flash

**Ok, this chapter was getting wayyyy too long, even longer than it currently is, so I decided to split it up and break it into two (or maybe three) chapters. Also, I've focused too much attention on Takuya and Izumi and I want to give some attention to the others as well, so Takuya's plan would be put into action in the next chapter or two. Sorry -_-'  
><strong>

**My OC's were starting to look like cardboard, so I threw in a flashback within a flashback of one of them. Warning: That flashback contains serious PG stuff. Not any lemon though, I don't like lemons so I refrain from writing any as well and neither do I want to change the rating of this story. But if you get uncomfortable, skip that part.**

**Don't forget to review!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6:<strong>

_Heart Broken in a Flash_**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Takuya<strong>

* * *

><p><em><strong>17th April 2008, Thursday<strong>_

_**Nakatsumaki (the 11th graders), Ise section:**_

Ok, things are going very much weirder than expected. My plans keep backfiring on my butt. If I carry on like this, JP and Zoë will become the next Romeo and Juliet, without the dying part, and it'll be all thanks to me.

I have to think of something. I do have a new plan, but for that I'll need the help of Joanne, and I'm not keen on doing that. But I fear to approach the ex Warrior of Fear. As always I'd have to tolerate thousands of questions thrown at my face, most of them useless. I swear, she was less annoying back at the Island of the Lost Digimon when she started that Great War.

Maybe I can get Myakka also, but for some reason, Zoë gets pissed off when she sees any of us asking her for help when we already have her. Her words not mine.

Luckily, I had seen Jo sitting with Kōichi in the break, who just now happened to be sitting right beside me. I can catch her after school if I want.

I'll have to catch Kōji. Because I don't really want to approach Joanne and her endless probing. But then again I also don't want to ask _Kōji _of all people for help. I figure something just has to give.

I tap Kōichi's shoulder. He looks up at me, annoyed, as if I had just disturbed him making love or something. I can't believe kids like Kōichi even exist, who actually LISTEN to the teacher droning on and on and copy notes.

Thank goodness he doesn't actually force me to sit in the front row with him anymore, like that time in seventh grade when his glasses had broken and had taken an entire WEEK to fix. Those so weren't good days, as I actually had to WORK then. The only times I'm forced to move to the front row is when the teacher is forced to move me.

"What is it?" Kōichi asks.

"I was just wondering… Are you and your brother free today?"

"Oh no, we're busy, we have an appointment with the Legendary Warriors to fight the Royal Knights along with them this afternoon. _Of course_ we're free dumbass."

Jee. Why does he have to get this pissed? And dumbass again. I can't say I'm not used to this, but I STILL hate Kōji for making me known as "dumbass" in the entire frikkin SCHOOL.

And it's not like he doesn't already know whatever it is the teacher's even blabbering on about!

"Ok, then I'm coming over."

Guess I should back up Kōji anyway. I already have somewhat of a plan in my mind, even if it's not as good as my previous ones.

"Since when have I ever stopped you from coming over Takuya? You're confusing me with my gay twin again."

"Believe me; I'm NOT confusing you both. And he's NOT my gay partner." Sheesh, I'm forced to clear this up EVERY time but at least Kōichi could cut me some slack, but nooooo! People actually think he's NICE when he's so NOT. No wonder he gets all the girls.

* * *

><p><strong>K.I.L.L.S Corridor:<strong>

* * *

><p>Just as Kōichi and I were waiting for Kōji to join us outside the school after his kendo practice, I saw Joanne leaving with Li. I figured it was a do or die thing. If I keep thinking about it, I might never get it done.<p>

"Hey. Jo!" I called out. For the fun of it, I'll keep tabs of the number of questions she asks and prove my point of how annoying Jo is. I'll bet with myself. If her number of questions will be less than 10 in the five minutes I'll be holding her up, I'll kiss Kōji. (We're NOT gay partners. At least I'M not even gay.)

She and Li both turn to look and come join us.

"Hey Kōichi," they both call. Joanne has this wicked grin on her face which was really annoying Li for some reason. She pushes Jo forward and she stumbles towards me.

"Yeah, what's up Takki boy?" _Question no: 1_

Did I mention I hate the name Takki boy too? Sheesh, what is with everyone deliberately ignoring my likes and dislikes and spoiling my name with Takki boy or dumbass or whatever?

"I have a kind of favour to ask you," I say, leading her away from the two of them.

"What kind of favour?" _Question no: 2_

"Well, I'm working on this poetry for my English assignment, and…"

"What's the topic?" _Question no: 3_

"I'm getting to that. You see, it has to be a Shakespearean poem and I need to get a theme and everything and I'm not really good at the romantic stuff."

"What do you have in mind?" _Question no: 4_

"I just told you, I have no idea."

"Why don't you actually get a head start on your homework for once?" _Question no: 5_

She also has the habit of acting like a stuffy know-it-all sometimes. It's coz she remembers stuff which happened such a long time ago, she'll shove it down your throat when you try to argue with her or try to prove her wrong. And notice she hasn't once replied like a normal person. Since she's Joanne, it's more than a force of habit of hers to reply to a question with a question of her own. Not to mention a _stupid_ question.

"I actually am getting one," I reply patiently, because seriously, we've had a whole lot of practice dealing with her and I _certainly _don't want to get in an argument with her.

"Shakespeare didn't write only romantic stuff. Why does it have to be only romantic?" _Question no: 6_

"Because, I figured that's not what most guys will be writing, and…"

"And so you want your work to be a bit different. Cool. So where do I come in?" _Question no: 7_

"Well, like I said, I'm not really good at the romantic stuff, so I want your help in composing a poem which isn't too cheesy that it'll make me a laughingstock in front of the guy community."

I already am, all thanks to Kōji (it's ALWAYS Kōji) but she doesn't need to know that. And it's not like the guy community would even know anything about it.

"And I know that you aren't good at the romantic stuff as well, but you're into writing, and I don't want to ask Li either, coz she'll blurt it out to the whole group, especially Zoë."

"Why would you want to hide it _especially _from Zoë?" She says suspiciously. Great. Leave it up to her to evolve from annoying times 10 to annoying times 20 within 20 seconds of having a conversation with her.

Oh, and not to mention, it was her _Question no: 8_

"Because… Zoë will make fun of me."

"And you don't want to look bad in front of a girl coz of your mountainous male ego, I get that. Don't you think it should subside, seeing as you _are _asking a girl for help?" _Question no: 9_

Seriously, talking to her is _tiring_. I want to end it as quickly as possible.

"So you think you can do it?" I ask her.

"Well yeah, I'll see, sure."

"Good, let's go back, and remember, not a word to anyone, not even Li!"

"Ummm… Ok."

Just as we almost reach Kōichi, Li and Kōji, who had joined them, it suddenly hits me looking at him about the bet I made with myself. She asked only NINE questions! The good thing about making bets with your own self is that no one knows when you lost them or _when _you bet yourself with. Thank goodness! Even THINKING about Kōji makes me sick.

Just when we had almost joined them, Joanne asked, "When do you want it Takki boy?"

SHEESH. Even her normal tone is loud, or they wouldn't have heard it. But they did.

"Want what?" Kōichi and Li ask together.

"Hahahaha, Takki boy," was all Kōji said, proving my point that he's not normal.

"None of your business," I snapped.

"Printout of his English homework," Jo replied.

Grrrr… At least they let go of the topic. So I guess Jo is a good liar, no matter how annoying.

Not to mention, I won that bet against myself. Joanne just asked her _Question no: 10. _This means I don't have to kiss Kōji at all! See, I'm so confident in myself when I take up bets.

* * *

><p><strong>Kōji<strong>

* * *

><p>I make my way to where I see Kōichi and Li standing. I would've thought he was waiting up for me but that vulture was relaxing his eyes while doing the job. I seriously don't know what to say. You'd think he'd get one of his infamous migraines by concentrating on something for so long, but apparently a girl's chest doesn't count. Having your brother look at your best friend like that in front of you is weird, and it's too awkward to say something about it to him as well.<p>

Kōichi looks up as I come. I scold him using only my eyes like we normally secretly communicate in front of others. He behaves at once. For someone he claimed he didn't like, he sure had a hard time looking away from her boobs, aside from the fact that she's wearing that sheet strangling her neck and covering her chest like usual. Not to mention Li herself. I've tried so many times to indirectly hint to her that he isn't interested and has his eyes on somebody else. Either she's too dumb or too stubborn. Wonder what she sees in him?

Li looks back to see why Kōichi suddenly stops talking and greets me with a hug. I can tell Kōichi's jealous.

I wink at him over her shoulder. _I thought you don't like her._

Kōichi fumes at me. _I don't. So shut up._

I grin. _Then why do I smell something burning?_

Kōichi gives me a death glare, clearly stating _I'm going to kill you_. But just then she pulls away.

I see Takuya talking with Joanne a bit far.

"What're Takki boy and Jo talking about?"

Kōichi shrugs. "He didn't say. He has some sort of favour to ask her."

I laugh. "A favour from Jo? If she asks less than 10 questions, I'll kiss Takuya."

"Ok, I could live my whole life WITHOUT having that picture in my mind!" Li scolds me, shivering violently. "And besides, Jo's really nice."

I shrug. She _is_ nice; Kōichi and I mostly hang out with Li and Jo, if Aqumi isn't freaking me out too much that is. Like today at break, it was really freaky. Instead of saying upfront to her, I had to actually text Li - from where I had to sit next to and endure mad Takuya making my time hell - to stop making googly eyes at my brother. She acted like she never saw my message, even though I specifically remember her looking at her cell.

Jo and Takuya come join us. Joanne jogged up even more in my opinion when she called Takuya Takki boy. Takki boy was looking like he had just lost a bet and had to do something gross for losing it, like cleaning his own shit for once.

Apparently Takuya was coming back with us, so I dropped my pace and let Kōichi and him pass me by and fall behind. Li and Joanne are matching my pace. I saw this as a good opportunity to reprimand Li.

"What do you think you're doing?" I ask of her.

"What?" she panics. "Nothing! No way am I thinking about you and Takuya… I mean Takuya and you…"

"You know what? I don't even wanna know about it! I'm talking about you and Kōichi."

I look at her meaningfully. She went into defensive mood at once.

"It's not my fault Joanne left me all alone with him! It's not like I told her to."

"And you loved every second of it bitch." I shake my head. "What part of "he's just not that into you" don't you get?"

"None of it," Jo says wisely.

"Look, I'm saying that for your own good. He tells me everything and I happen to know he has eyes set on a girl, a girl who doesn't happen to be you."

I know that may have come out a bit harsh, but I didn't want her to get her hopes up and see them get crushed again. She was a ridiculous "the One" dreamer and I would rather have her die an old spinster lady and remain a ridiculous "the One" dreamer than running after my brother and having her heart broken. Again. Kōichi isn't the type to use a girl, but Li's the type who'll think he's her future husband even as she's getting ready for her first date. That's how much we all know her.

I'm not really the type to play matchmaker and have my name dragged in the middle and getting blamed for every fight a couple has. So the next best thing to do is to try and knock as much sense into a person as possible while remaining the good guy. It's not like I'm GAY or anything, despite what some people apparently seem to think.

"You know what, he's right Li," Joanne says. "But if you want it, go for it anyway. I'll be rooting for you."

"Can I speak now?" Li says angrily.

I study her. She is blushing, something she claims she is incapable of.

"Look, I haven't decided anything yet ok? It's just a stupid little crush thing. I'll grow out of it. But let me enjoy the moment as long as it lasts."

I open my mouth to argue, but she raises her hand, silencing me.

"I'm not looking for a relationship. For God's sake it hasn't even been a fortnight since I broke up."

That's a sad tale. Li had something going on with a boy back in Pakistan named Zuhair. Li's family being old fashioned and already disapproving Li's close friendships with boys, she was risking her very life by carrying on a relationship all because of her the One nonsense; she had loved him just coz he had claimed to love her and did practically everything for him. She thought she was being a feminist when she reached for the bills, but in truth, he had been ripping her off.

It's the first time in the thirteen days she's been here that she's even mentioned it. We had respectfully kept quiet about it, because we felt when she'll feel like telling us, she will. Not even Joanne knows the full details. I can proudly say I'm the only one who does and has been sworn into secrecy.

The asshole had been also against her idea since the beginning of coming to Tokyo to finish high school. Li had told us it was all coz of his fear of long distance relationships not lasting and that. But Li found out from one of her friends that that was not exactly the point.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Flashback:<strong>__  
><em>

_Two weeks ago:  
><em>

_My phone has been vibrating since the past hour practically. I was ignoring it._

"_Kōji, tell whoever is calling to fuck off!" Kōichi was saying from his futon. The vibration had even woken him up. _

_I let it continue vibrating. Right now, nothing was more important to me than my sleep._

"_Kōji!" Kōichi yells. "Tell the person to fuck off before it even wakes up ka-san!"_

_I finally woke up to check it. It was an international call, and maybe because of the time difference, the caller didn't know that they had woken me up at near seven o clock in the morning on the last few days of my vacation. This was no excuse whatsoever. I picked up the phone, fully intending to yell at the person. But before I could even say a word, I heard a voice full of pain call my name._

"_Kōji? I've called you like a hundred thousand times. Why weren't you answering?"_

"_Li? Is that you?"_

"_Yes, it's me," she says. She starts sobbing hysterically._

"_What's wrong?" I say, wide awake now. Li never cried._

"_I… I…"_

"_What is it Li? Tell me. Is it your family again?"_

"_N-no."_

"_Zuhair?"_

_At his name she cried harder. I swear to kill that bastard for whatever he had done to make her cry like this._

"_Kōji he… he…" She launches into a story which was making no sense whatsoever._

"_Wait wait Li, sorry to interrupt but back up a bit. Tell me from the very beginning so it all makes sense."_

"_Ok. I'll tell you from where Jason and Joanne tried to knock some sense into me. Jason started by saying…"_

* * *

><p><em><span>A week earlier:<span>_

"_I have something very important to tell you Li," Jason said as he, Joanne and Lili were having lunch together._

"_Yeah, that's practically the same thing you texted me this morning," Li says. "How's Dolly btw? Hurry up! Oh sorry Jezy, I was calling the waiter, I'm starving! This is supposed to be fast food! There's nothing fast about it!"_

_Joanne shakes her head. "There she goes again hurrying through her food so Zuhair won't have anything to complain about. For Allah's sake Li, Jason is like our BRO, and he has been your brother since a hell of a lot before Zuhair came along! He has no right to be telling you not to talk to him anymore!"_

_Li looks at her, uncomprehending. "Wait. What?"_

"_That's the thing I wanted to talk to you about," Jason says, looking angrily at Joanne. Jo raises her hands in surrender._

"_Ok, what is this Jezy? What's this about not talking to you?" Li asks._

"_Apparently, your boyfriend doesn't like it when you talk to me. He doesn't _appreciate_ our friendship."_

"_But why?"_

"_Jeez Li, he's being over possessive. He thinks just coz you have guy friends you must be fucking them all."_

"_That's his problem. I've already changed so much for him; I'm not bending myself according to each and _every_ desire of his. He has girl friends, friends who are girls I mean. I don't forbid him from talking to them, so neither does he have any right to do this to me. Anyone want more fries? I'm thinking of ordering some more."_

"_There she goes changing the topic again," Joanne says._

"_Look Li," Jason says. "Open your eyes. Single girls and guys who aren't serious about their commitment can never be friends."_

"_Get out!" Li says. "He's serious. He says I love you to me like around ten times a day. We're going to consummate our relationship. We're going to get married after I finish High School."_

"_Li, saying I love you just to get in your pants doesn't count, especially with your sex-after-marriage thing," Jason says. "You don't know what assholes guys are."_

"_You can't be serious! We'll be each others' first, it's only natural he wants it."_

"_But he doesn't care about what YOU want!" Jo bursts angrily._

"_He's a liar Li; all he does and says are big fat LIES to control your moves because like a dumbo you are, you've showed him you'll always try to fit according to his needs. And Li…" He drags his chair closer to hers and holds her hand. "Please don't hit me when I say this, but you've GOT to know. You won't be his first… And you won't even be his last."_

_There was silence as a waiter puts down their plates in front of them and takes the dirty dishes off their table._

"_What are you talking about," she states, her voice dangerously soft._

"_And the reason is you why he doesn't want to let you go to Tokyo. He fears he'll lose the chance to get laid every now and then."_

"_But he doesn't get laid every now and then."_

_Jason shakes his head. "That's not what he says. He says he's done you so many times he can fit his whole hand down your… Forget it, that's disgusting guy talk I don't want to pollute your ears with. And let me tell you that isn't the kind of language a guy uses about their future wife, especially with other guys. And he doesn't even know me. If you want proof, I'll show you his text messages. Stop holding on to him just coz he's your first boyfriend and you think it's something special."_

_Lili is spooked and she tries failingly to hide the fact. "So he has a knack for a big mouth. He's just saying that to everyone so they'll stay away from me. This… this doesn't ex-exactly prove anything."_

"_Stop trying to tell yourself you'll be his first Li. It doesn't so much so matters that you won't be, but I can tell you with absolute certainty you won't be his last either, because he isn't gonna wait forever for you. Like last week, Sarah's neighborwho happens to be my friend told me that he saw Zuhair sneaking out of her house when her parents weren't home…"_

"_How dare you!" Lili shouts slamming the table. "How dare you speak about my-my future husband like this! You're just jealous that things between you and Dolly aren't working as well as before!"_

"_Don't bring Dolly into this," Jason growls._

"_You know what? I practically can't care less Jimmy-son! I mean Johanson!" _

"_Jason," he corrects. _

_She gets up, reaches into her bag and slams a hundred rupees note on the table and storms out with her bottle of Coke, her plate of masala fries remaining untouched._

* * *

><p><em><span>Later that night:<span>_

"_Zuhair, I have something to tell you and you need to know."_

"_Before you do, hear me out. When you take a step out of Pakistani soil, our relationship will be over."_

"_What?"_

"_Yes, that's right. Let me say this straight once and for all. I can't wait for you any longer. I'm a guy for God's sake." _

"_But we agreed that…"_

"_And it's not like I don't have options Li. For example, this girl at my office, she's confessed to me that she loves me and told me I could do anything with her. But I told her I'm already committed. I'm rejecting everyone else coz of you."_

"_You _should._ That's what a commitment is all about."_

"_And in a commitment, you're supposed to compromise, and I haven't seen you doing that once. I want sex and you aren't giving it to me. And I've told you so many times I don't like you talking to other boys either."_

"_I'm sorry."_

"_You don't even know if you like sex or not, coz you haven't had it before. Yet you're so determined."_

"_Have you?"_

"_Of course not. By the way, when will your parents be home?"_

"_Not for another half hour. You better go."_

"_Ok, but I want a goodbye kiss first. You can give me _that_, can you?"_

_Lili closes her eyes and let him kiss her. He explored her mouth with his tongue, almost sucking her breath out. Li forced herself to think she was enjoying this, when in reality, all she wanted to do was hurl._

_She felt him taking off her shirt and then unclasping her bra. He then threw her back on the bed they were sitting on and let his hands and tongue roam all over her body. He rested them on the waist band of her trousers and started pulling them off as well._

"_What are you doing?" she demands._

"_Nothing," he promises. "I'll do nothing."_

_Re-assured, she let him take off her entire clothes. He ran his tongue down her stomach and below her waist._

"_Don't do it," she says, contracting her legs and trying to push him away with her knees. He didn't budge. Again, she forced herself to think she was enjoying it._

_When he pulled away, he quickly took off his clothes as well until Li could see him standing up firm and erect._

"_Wh-what are you doing?"_

"_Nothing, I promise."_

_He took her hand and made her rub. Then he took her other hand as well and went on more forcefully. When he finally couldn't take it anymore, he forced her mouth open by the jaws._

_He was choking her. She couldn't even cough or breathe. Tears fell down the corner of her eyes and just when she felt she couldn't take it any longer, he stopped. Judging by the look of it, he hadn't let it loose inside her mouth. She was glad. He did care about her after all._

_He then lay on top of her and started running his finger down._

"_Don't do it!" she says loudly grabbing his hand, but not so loud for she didn't want to attract any neighbours._

"_I'm not doing anything," he says, almost groggily. He then lifted up slightly and made a sudden jerky motion which made her vision black._

"_DON'T!" she tried to scream, but he locked her lips with a forceful kiss._

_With each motion of his, Lili's vision gave new shades and patterns of black and purple. She started scratching his back to try and pull him away, but he only groaned in pleasure. The pain was unbearable. She thought her waist would break open._

_As he was moving inside her, he finally starts shaking and pulls out, letting loose on her thigh and gasping loudly against her chest._

_Lili was staring at the ceiling, motionless with barely enough feeling in her lower body, unable to comprehend what had just happened. _

_He got up and pulled on his clothes, looking in triumph at the droplets of blood tracing down her thigh. She hadn't moved a muscle. When he was clothed, he leaned over and kissed her softly._

"_See, it wasn't that bad now was it?"_

_Lili didn't say anything. In her mind, she was making herself get up and ripping his body apart. But she didn't have enough strength to get up at all._

_"I'm leaving now… your parents will be back any minute… You better put your clothes back on and uhhh… clean up." He kisses her again. "I love you."_

_And he was gone. She pushed herself up, crying as pain shot up her body. She stumbled to the bathroom and cleaned herself, putting her clothes back on with trembling hands. A task which would've taken her a minute took five. She stumbled through the house and grabbed a wet cloth and rubbed the semen and blood off the sheets._

_The bell rang and the door started banging. She had forgotten to unlock the door. Putting on a straight face and trying to walk normally, almost falling down twice, she opened the door for her family._

* * *

><p><em>"WHAT?" I yelled at the phone. Kōichi jumped and glared at me sleepily.<em>

_"Kame _Kō_ji, tell the person to FUCK OFF ALREADY!"_

_I ignore him. Li is sobbing so hard I felt tears stinging my eyes as well. She was goddam raped, and she can't even tell anyone to do something about it._

_"Th-that's not all Kōji," she cries. "The next day…"_

* * *

><p><em>She couldn't even get up from the bed. Her body was sore all over. She had barely gotten any sleep, and when she was lying awake, she had gotten it in her mind to believe that maybe this had been for the best. Maybe now his lust had been satisfied and their relationship will take a new turn.<em>

_She decided to call Jo or Jason, forgetting about the fight she had had with them the previous day._

_She called Jason first._

_"Hey!" she says cheerfully when he answered._

_"Oh great! I was about to call you myself."_

_"Really? Why? Something happen?"_

_"You sure bet so. Yesterday when you wouldn't believe me, I decided to do a little digging by myself, and you know what I found?"_

_When she didn't say anything, he continued. "Last year, around that time when you wouldn't go to second base with him, he told you he's leaving the city forever because his parents are calling him back, right?"_

_"Yeah…"_

_"And he told you he had a ticket booked and everything. And then that night, when you let him go through second base as a goodbye thing, and then finally told him not to go, he cancelled the flight at the last minute right?"_

_"Yes…"_

_"Well, guess what Li, my friend Asim who knew him back in high school, has a father in the National Airlines. He checked the entire registry the whole day yesterday and there was NO record of there ever being a ticket booked by him in the last year at ALL. Sure he found a record from _two _years ago, but that's it."_

_"So what you're trying to say is, he made that all up just to get me to bend over?"_

_"It sure looks that way."_

_"Has it occurred to you, that maybe…"_

_"They erased the record after he cancelled the ticket? I asked my friend the same thing, and nope, they don't just erase the records. And even a computer whiz like Tommy won't be able to get away with hacking their system without breaching their security alarm."_

_"Thanks for telling me this Jason. I gotta go now."_

_"You ok?"_

_"Sure. Oh wait, can you give me this guy Asim's number? I might wanna ask him some stuff."_

_"Sure if you say so. Look Li, I don't mean to upset you. I'm just trying to help."_

_"Yeah, ok."_

_"Bye."_

_She hangs up. New things are coming to light which have very easily destroyed her visions._

_After two days, she finally got up the courage to call the number._

_"Assalam- Alaikum," a deep male voice answered._

_"Walikum-Assalam," she replies. "Is this Asim?"_

_"Yes this is him."_

_"I'm a friend of Jason's and I'm calling to inquire about a person he asked you to research…"_

_"Oh you must be Lili," he replies easily. "Jason said you might call."_

_"Well, yeah. You knew Zuhair back in high school right?"_

_"Sure did. He was kinda famous amongst the girls for being the nice, sweet, emotionally tortured guy. But his real fame was amongst the guys for luring the girls by acting this way and being one of the most successful players in the school."_

_"Can you please elaborate?"_

_"He lured all girls practically the same way..."_

_Then Asim was listing all the exact things she had gone through herself. Lies to bend and change a girl according to his wishes. Manipulating their every move by playing mind games. Threatening to move away and breaking up and even saying another girl has offered him her body __etc etc__, this was all actually blackmail when a girl was reluctant to move to further bases ._

_"He also never waited for only one girl. He juggled many girls at the same time. Whenever a girl was holding him up for having sex, he never really had a problem with it, coz there were always two or three girls as back-up who were giving him that at the same time. He just had to keep on charming the reluctant one and wait patiently."_

_All the while she had been listening, tears had been pouring incessantly down her face. When she spoke, her voice was completely calm._

_"Thanks for telling me this. What about his academic side? He told me he scored second position."_

_"Of course, and I went bungee jumping off the Statue of Liberty. He was a dropout. He never finished high school. He told everyone that it's because he's going into his father's business, but the truth is, his father doesn't have any such business. He's just sitting at home under his father's money doing nothing, uneducated and unemployed. He even got the girls to pay for him and swindled them out of their jewellery which he sold and passed out the money as his own. It was the biggest joke."_

_The biggest joke was she had been taken for a complete fool for a year._

_"Thank you, you've been a lot of help Asim. Allah Hafiz."_

_She couldn't talk to him a second longer. Her sisters asked her what was wrong, but she just shook her head and snapped at them. They soon went away, muttering "PMS"._

_She was numb. She was heartbroken. She had been tossed, turned and flipped around like a pancake. Three days passed by and she wouldn't receive anybody's calls. She read the text messages just to see how much amusement they would offer her._

_"Sarah thing turns out true. I saw him today with my own eyes. Reply soon. Jason."_

_"Jason says he saw your bf and Sarah doing unspeakable things! Are you alright? Answer my call! Joanne."_

_"Baby, lets meet tonight at my place after your family's asleep. My parents are out. We'll have fun."_

_Oh, she'll meet him alright._

_When everyone slept, she prepared to sneak out of the house. She remembered an anime she had watched called School Days, and she took a butcher knife with her. She felt the anime didn't have much brutality. She fully intended to castrate him for what he had done to her, and she had always had a thing for steel. _

_She caught a taxi as she had never really replied him to come pick her up so he thought she wasn't coming. And her city wasn't like Tokyo, that you can roam around completely safe in the wee hours of the night. She had heard horror stories from the time she was a toddler about girls getting raped. Well, it had happened to her, and she wasn't scared now. The driver thought she was a prostitute wandering alone and tried to flirt with her and touch her. She took out her knife and pretended to study it. The driver saw it and immediately behaved. Now he was thinking she was a psycho murderess on the run._

_She reached his house and saw a light on in a room. She approached that window and opened it carefully from outside. She saw him making it with a girl and so busy was he that he did not notice her sliding the window open or even dragging the curtain open a little at all._

_ She went to the main door and rang the doorbell. She waited patiently as she heard shuffling and the door finally opened. He had only bothered to wear his bottoms. His eyes widened out of their sockets when he saw her standing there on his doorstep with her long hair opened and tangled, half on her face and half whipping behind her, and her face so somber and dead looking. She gave every appearance of a witch who had appeared on his doorstep out of nowhere. She pulled her hand back and went straight for his bare chest with her knife. He caught her wrist before she could really do anything. She then picked up her other arm and slapped him with all her might straight on his cheek. He was caught off-guard and stumbled, holding on to the door ledge and letting her hand go._

_She turned and ran away. She ran and ran until everything around her was a blur until she finally fell and lay there, surrounded by emptiness and crying her heart out finally. She needed someone, but not Jason or Joanne. She couldn't face them. She didn't want to call Izumi to hear her reprimanding her for being unable to be the one in control and letting him do everything with her body. She wanted a person who would quietly listen to her speak and let her cry on and on and offer a sympathetic shoulder. She took out her cell phone..._

* * *

><p><em>"... and called you," she finishes.<em>

_I didn't know what to say. Sure I've heard of these kinds of situations before, but never to one of my best friends._

_She had stopped crying but her voice is still unsteady. I consoled her and talked to her for the next hour till her balance ran out. I made her carry herself back home. As over there it was somewhere around 4, she said the streets were relatively empty and she talked to me as she walked back home._

_"Not a WORD about this to anyone, ok __Kōji?"_

_"No problem," I promise. "Including Kōichi?"_

_"Including Kōichi," she affirmed. "Especially."  
><em>

_She still cared what he thought of her, even after all that has happened to her. When the call ended, I looked at the time. 8:15 am. I was going back to sleep._

_"Who was it? One of your Chinese friends? Did you tell em you're in Japan now and to fuck off?" Kōichi asks groggily._

_"No, it was _our_ Li," I say. "She found out her bf had been lying and cheating on her."_

_"Ouch!" he yawns. "So what's the story?" _

_"Well, she…" I saw that he had fallen asleep again. It was time before I go to sleep as well._

_**End Flashback**  
><em>

* * *

><p>We had reached the rail station. Kōichi and Takuya had already gone on much ahead of us and were boarding the Akasaka bound train which will take us to Kōichi's area.<p>

"It was a terrible experience for me, and no way in hell I'm falling so easily again," Li was saying. "So for now, I'm just testing the surface."

I decided not to argue with her. "Sure, but be careful Li. None of us want to see you get hurt again."

"I know," she smiles at me. I smile back, like sharing a secret, which we were.

"Ummm... Kōji? Hate to tell you, but if you don't make a run for it, you're gonna miss your train," Joanne says, pointing towards Takuya and Kōichi, who were calling out and waving at him madly from the train.

"Oh fish!" I yell, running across the station. "Wait! Don't close don't close!" I yelled uselessly at the automatic doors which would close any second. People inside the train who saw me running stood aside in case I had to make a dive and fell down and broke my nose instead, but someone was there to pull me inside just as the doors close a second later.

"Arigato," I huff, gasping.

"Kōji saying _Thanks?_" I hear a very unpleasantly familiar voice. I look up to see the person who had helped me in was none other than Takuya.

"Mina-san (everyone)! This guy who always has a stick up his ass is saying thanks! To _me_, his best friend! Because _I _helped him in!"

Everyone looks with varying expressions. I recoil backwards in terror. Takuya. It's ALWAYS Takuya. I turn around and start banging the closed doors.

"Open up! Open up! Let me out!"

* * *

><p><strong>I tried to be as realistic as possible. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think!<strong>


End file.
